I had one of those rare, full-circle moments this weekend while following the Magic Marine Easter Regatta at WV Braassemermeer. While I wasn't on the water actively coaching Hidde Wismeijer for this event—I am currently advising him and following his racing from afar—seeing a kid I’ve guided since he was just a mini Opti junior win the overall regatta was incredible.
But when I saw the photo of him holding the famous giant wooden Easter Egg trophy, it really hit home. Right there on the side of that same egg is a picture of me from 2005, when I won this exact regatta. Knowing Hidde’s photo will now sit alongside mine, more than two decades later, is a feeling I can barely put into words. I couldn’t be more proud of him, and of his parents, Paul and Lenneke, who have supported him every step of the way.As I always say here at Afrodite Performance Sailing: boat speed starts in the head. My time on the Olympic 470 circuit taught me a hard but crucial lesson. Technical skill gets you to the regatta, but your mindset is what actually wins it.The conditions on the
Braassemermeer are notoriously shifty. It’s incredibly easy for racing stress to take over and dictate your event. In our team, we don’t just coach the tactical side of sailing; we coach the human being holding the tiller.Over the years, Hidde and I put a massive amount of work into the mental side of the game. We used Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and mental performance tools to build real emotional resilience. Watching his results unfold this weekend, it was clear he was practicing what we call reframing pressure. Instead of letting those intense pre-race nerves turn into anxiety, he successfully transformed that feeling into "readiness".
This is exactly what I mean when I talk about sustainable intensity. Lifting the Easter Egg trophy is an amazing achievement, but the ultimate goal of my coaching and advising isn't just to help kids win youth championships. The goal is to ensure that these young athletes are still eager to race—and still deeply in love with the ocean—when they are 25 and beyond. Because if you stop loving the sport and burn out, the fast lane eventually closes. Hidde proved this weekend that he is not just physically dominant on the water, but emotionally resilient. He loves the sport, he trusts his mind, and the results speak for themselves.
Congrats again, Hidde. Enjoy this one—you earned it.