Image Credit: Cas Haasdijk
Well ahead of the rest of the world, the Netherlands is ready to kickstart the 24/25 season in the centre of Amsterdam as crews race the Amstel Beker. For newcomers to the Dutch scene, the Amstel Beker is organised all in one day. Only one men’s and one women’s crew compete from each club. The day starts with a time trial, and based on this, a draw is made, and crews match race over 750 meters, starting outside Nereus and finishing at De Hoop. The winner moves on through a knockout pyramid. Interestingly, at the end of the day, the winning club crew and the winning student crew will line up for one “Super-Final” to crown the ultimate champion.
Men’s Student Club
A.S.R Nereus
As expected, Nereus returns this year to defend last year’s victory. However, the crew taking to the water are nearly completely new, with three returners from 2023 in the form of Lars Kreiter, Lucas Keijzer, and Ies Wiersma. The rest of the crew comes from the very strong Nereus ‘A’ boat, which competed sensationally at the 2024 Henley Royal Regatta. Last year, Nereus showed strong development in their crew. Finishing third in the time trial they progressed through the regatta to eventually beat Skoll in the final.
A.A.S.R. Skøll
Last year’s runners-up, Skoll will be training with more than just the upset of losing, as both Skoll and Triton will be sending crews to the Head of the Charles in October. They will, therefore, be concentrating all their efforts on the eight. This is clear in the lineup as they’ve called back Lennart van Lierop, who won gold at the 2024 Paria Olympic Games, and Guillaume Krommenhoek, from the national training centre. Furthermore, Skoll have kept the rest of last year’s boat the same, including Dirkzwager, Postma and Haeringen who rowed their top quad in The Prince of Wales Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. Clearly, a strong crew; we’ll watch with interest to see if they manage their stamina better through the regatta.
U.S.R. Triton
Travelling with Skoll to the Head of the Charles, Triton will also be warming up at the Amstel Beker. At last year’s regatta, Nereus knocked them out in the semifinal. They did go on to win the B-final against Laga. Pieter van Veen, Eli Brouwer and Jacob van de Kerkhof, will all be coming back from the national team to help Triton’s chances. Their coach Coen Eggenkamp has kept most of the crew the same, with only two seats changed and the stroke pair staying the same.
General Classification
KAR & ZV De Hoop
Clearly dominant last year, De Hoop are returning to defend their title. Over the last two years, the club has emphasised training graduates in a similar way to Thames. Starting a new era in the Netherlands, De Hoop have had strong crews at Henley Royal Regatta over the last two years and seem to be even more prominent on their own water. Three changes from last year will certainly shake things up, but ultimately, it will be their title to defend from strong competition.
London Rowing Club
The only visiting crew, London Rowing Club have come looking for glory. The Palm Beker was last won in 2018 by a British crew. London RC are new to this race and will be hosted by Nereus. While they take advantage of their close proximity to all the action, it will be interesting seeing how they fare in a new environment. Expectations will be high after finishing last season with strong performances at Marlow Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta; they will be looking to outperform Thames, who finished in the final at last year’s event.
Final Thoughts
So, what to expect? The general classification will almost certainly see a London vs De Hoop final but who will go on to the super-final? With this being De Hoop’s home water, the advantage will certainly be in their corner but after the summer break, it could all be up for grabs. In the student event, Skoll and Triton seem the most prominent; after stacking their boats, they are clearly going for blood. Skoll is based on the Amstel and, therefore, has some home advantage. In any case, it will be a close race between these two titans to go on to the super-final.
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