Benjamin STAARTJES

A Tempest sailor in the early 1970s, the best result of Ben Staartjes came at the 1970 World Championships in Quiberon, when he earned a silver medal with Cees Kurpershoek. In 1972, the duo also claimed gold at the European Championships in La Rochelle, but could not repeat that performance at the Olympic regatta in Kiel, where they placed 5th. At the 1976 Olympics, the last time the Tempest class sailed at the Games, Staartjes earned an 8th place, this time partnering Ab Ekels. Staartjes then switched to Star sailing, earning a 15th place in the 1980 World Champoinships. That same year, he also acted as chef de mission of the Dutch sailing team at the Moscow Olympics. Staartjes continued to sail well into his 70ies, participating in the Star World Championships as late as 2002.