Round Texel 2026 – Finally An Official win!
Round Texel 2026 | Ronde van Texel 2026
Some victories are measured in minutes. Others take years…..to tick off or…
For me, winning Round Texel 2026 officially was three years in the making. While the result sheet simply shows a first place, 6th overall out of 100 wingfoilers, the journey behind it tells a much longer story.
My history with Round Texel has been anything but straightforward. Three years ago, I crossed the finish line first (2 hours in front), only to discover afterwards that my tracker had apparently decided to explore Texel on its own. While I was sailing around the island, the tracker seemed convinced that travelling over land was the faster option. The result was an unofficial victory and no official score. The following year, Round Texel was part of the World Cup circuit, where I finished as the third Dutch rider. And fifth overall. Also fine considering I didn`t use any race gear. But no win. Then came an edition with almost no wind at all and no riding for me.
2025 X
2026 >> The Texel curse is broken!
And now, finally, an official win! …but definitely not an easy one to earn. Here you go I take you along in my round texel story;
Round Texel stories
After all the adventures on the water, there was one final surprise waiting on shore: the women’s podium was accidentally forgotten during the official prize giving. We eventually got our own ceremony outside on the beach afterwards. Looking back, it felt strangely appropriate. After three years of unfinished business, tracker mishaps and unofficial results, even my first official Round Texel victory came with an unconventional ending. Some stories simply wouldn’t be Round Texel stories otherwise, is it..?!.
A Race With History
Round Texel is widely considered the largest catamaran race in the world. Since its first edition in 1978, it has grown into a legendary endurance event where hundreds of catamarans, windsurfers participate. Windfoiling and Wingfoiling made it’s entry 4 years ago.
The challenge sounds simple: start on the beach, sail around the entire island of Texel, and return to the finish line as quickly as possible.
In reality, it is rarely that simple.
The race is famous for its ever-changing conditions. Tides, currents, shifting sandbanks, weather systems and sea state all play a role. One year competitors enjoy a fast lap around the island (3hours), while another year can turn into an endurance challenge filled with tactical decisions, unexpected obstacles and a healthy amount of suffering (5 hours).
That unpredictability is exactly what gives Round Texel its legendary status. No matter how experienced you are, Texel always finds a way to humble you.
This year was no different.
Why I Started Wingfoiling
Before wingfoiling, I raced kitefoil.
I loved the speed, but there was always one thing that fascinated me: completing a full lap around Texel on a foil. Yet – I did laps around islands in the philipinnes, but never at Home in our North Sea. Being jalouse of the people making it around Texel with their catamarans. For me the Round Texel race had always seemed like one of the ultimate challenges. Traditionally, only catamarans and a handful of other classes could truly race around the island in all conditions. Kiting is not allowed.
So when wingfoiling emerged, I immediately wanted to go. Ever since then, one goal has remained in the back of my mind:
Win Round Texel.
Ironically, I probably arrived at this year’s edition less prepared than during previous attempts.
Life has been busy. Between college, training, work and everything else, I did not feel (and was not) as race-ready as I had been in some earlier years. At the same time, I have also had to adjust my expectations when it comes to performance. There are still plenty of technical skills I want to improve. My tacks are far from perfect (read can`t). My medium-wind gybes still need work. And with one arm currently doing most of the work, there are certain things that simply haven’t progressed as quickly as I would like – I am used to (and maybe they never will).
For a long time, that would have frustrated me. This year I decided to approach things differently.
Instead of focusing on the areas where I felt I was lacking, I focused on the things I do well. I often describe it as turning my 8 into a 10. Rather than spending all my energy trying to fix every weakness, I chose to maximize my strengths: racing hard, reading conditions, staying efficient and refusing to give up when things get difficult.
That mindset would prove useful later this race.
From College to Texel
The adventure actually started less than twenty-four hours before the race.
At 17:00 on Friday afternoon, I was still sitting in college turning in my assignment.
By 17:10, I had signed up for Round Texel.
The transition from student to athlete happened quickly. I packed my gear, converted the van into a temporary camper with a bed squeezed between equipment bags, and started the drive towards Texel.
Fortunately, everything came together smoothly. After arriving on the island and completing registration just before the closing time 20:00, I had enough time to enjoy the evening. A walk through the forest, a beautiful sunset and an early night provided the perfect start to the weekend. The next morning, it was time to race.
Reading the Forecast
The forecast was anything but clear.
There was wind.
There were rain showers.
There were expected wind holes.
And there were several weather models disagreeing with each other (what’s new).
In other words, nobody really knew what the day would look like.
At least I didn`t had to spend too much time staring at forecasts, I decided a while ago already to keep things simple. I committed to a one-wing strategy: a 6m wing combined with my small (kite)foil.
No backup plan.
No second option.
Just one setup and a commitment to make it work.
It was an all-or-nothing decision, but it felt right. It’s the way I do “things”.
And of course, a rare occasion only reserved for competition days: a proper wash for my foil before heading to the start line.
Round Texel 2026
The race started perfectly, with a gust strong enough to launch straight into full speed and quickly ride away from the other 100 wingfoilers. I could see the wind line further outside and the waves building with it, so I knew that if I committed to going more outside than the others, I could connect the gusts and ride the waves with more power and efficiency. Just how I like it.
The first section was fast, fun and exactly what you hope for in a race around Texel. I felt comfortable, the equipment was working well and I moved through the first gates without major issues.
Before the start, I had told myself that the main goal was to enjoy the experience and see…
That plan lasted until the race actually started. Somewhere during the opening section, my competitive side took over completely. By the first major downwind mark, I rounded in third place overall out of nearly one hundred wingfoilers.
At that point, enjoying the scenery was no longer my main focus.
I wanted to win. I know I can. I just had to do it.
The Texel surprises
But …Then Texel started fighting back.
After the second gate (noth side of the island) for the first time in my Round Texel career, I had to walk around the famous sandbank. What initially looked like a short inconvenience turned into twenty minutes of carrying foil and wing through shallow water.
Just around the next corner, things improved.
For about ten seconds.
Untill after the VC mark. Then came another shallow section that resulted in roughly forty-five more minutes of walking.
While I was busy questioning my life choices and considering whether trail running against the wind should be added to my training program, I watched almost everyone else pass by on the water ( at least that’s what I thought). At that point, it honestly felt like the race was slipping away.
Then the safety boat came alongside and asked if I wanted to stop, or if I needed food or drinks. I had nothing with me, so in hindsight it probably would have been a good moment to say yes—but instead I kept pushing through against the wind, knowing I had already been out there for a long time while others were disappearing in front of me. For a moment it felt like that was it, but instead of ending the race, I asked them for the deeper water, they pointed me back in the right direction and gently encouraged me to keep going. They stayed close the entire time during the walk, keeping an eye on me through the shallow section, and somehow that small bit of support made a big difference in that moment, turning what felt like the end of the race into a reset instead. The supported me and told me how great I was doing, they could see the trackers, I couldn`t… I had no clue where everyone was at that point.
just for the image.. the mast is 105cm. The board is just a little sinking.. and you dont want to damage the foil…
Deep water
Eventually, deeper water appeared and I could start foiling again. Unfortunately, that only introduced a new set of challenges.
The jellyfish arrived.
The seaweed arrived.
And the crashes arrived.
Every time I seemed to build momentum, another patch of seaweed or another unexpected obstacle slowed things down. After a while, I stopped counting how many times I had fallen. I genuinely questioned whether I could keep going. Pumping myself out of the water and starting again all the time.
Racing, Walking and Floating
As if the walking sections were not enough, the weather added another layer of complexity.
Near Gate 3, a rain shower passed through and took much of the wind with it.
Progress slowed dramatically. The current pushed me upwind towards gate 3 at Oudeschild, and I ended up having to swim back just to make it through the gate. My wing was almost in the safety boat at one point, but luckily there was great support from the supporters on shore, the boat and on the water, cheering (in the rain) me through that section and keeping an eye on me while I struggled through.
At times, I felt like the current was doing more work than the wind. Watching the catamarans, pass by.
There is something strangely surreal about being in the middle of a race and spending significant time doing absolutely nothing except drifting with a long period of floating while waiting for the breeze to return. Which was scary at times with the ferry that needed to pass too, while we just sat there on our boards.
Yet that is also part of Round Texel.
The race is never only about speed. It is about adapting to whatever the island throws at you.
And you know what eventually, the wind returned for a reach to Gate 4. South of the island.
Then it disappeared again.
Then it returned.
Then it disappeared.
And finally, it stayed.
From there, the race gradually transformed back into a proper sailing contest. The final section became a downwind run towards the finish line and my strategy became very simple: keep moving, avoid mistakes and don’t take unnecessary risks
After everything that had happened throughout the day, there was no reason to get creative. I stayed with my preferred stance and kept my strongest side forward all the way to the finish. Make from your 8 a 10. At that point, all I could think was: just finish and get it done.
Worth the Wait
Four and a half hours after the start, I crossed the finish line.
My longest Round Texel ever. Without any drink or food.. because its just a round, how long can it take…?
It was a race filled with almost everything Texel is famous for: strong wind, no wind, rain, walking, drifting, seaweed, jellyfish and constant uncertainty.
And somehow, despite all of that, it was exactly the race I had hoped for.
Not because it was easy.
Not because everything went perfectly.
But because it represented the reason I started wingfoiling . It highlighted my biggest strength: not giving up.
After years of near misses, unofficial victories, podium finishes and tough conditions, I finally reached the goal that had been quietly in the back of my mind from the very beginning, even without really expecting it this year.
Finally an official Round Texel victory. And a 6th place overall which makes me even more proud! (coming from 18th last year)
A huge thank you goes to everyone involved in organizing the event and to all the volunteers, safety crews and supporters on the water and on shore. Whether we were racing, walking or floating around waiting for wind, your efforts made the event possible.
Looking back, Round Texel has taught me an important lesson.
Perfection is overrated.
You do not always need perfect tacks, perfect gybes or perfect preparation.
Sometimes success comes from making the most of what you have, trusting your strengths and refusing to give up when conditions become difficult.
Or, as I like to call it, turning your 8 into a 10.
Round Texel never gives you the race you expect.
This year, it gave me the story I had been waiting three years to finish; An official win.
See you the next one!
volledige uitslag wingfoil Ronde van Texel 2026
