fivepointfive - April 2023

KIM CHABANI INTERVIEW
On 5.5s, keeping it fun,
747s, and cross stitch
Kim Chabani didn’t have the most typical
introduction to 5.5 Metre sailing, but as he
steps down as the Vice President Sailing for
the international class association he looks
back on his years in the class and now
looks forward to renewing his love of the class after a few
years away from sailing.
He first set foot in a 5.5 Metre in 2003 after a joke between
two friends led to one of them buying a new boat. “This is kind
of a funny story. The 5.5 fleet in the Netherlands was led by Hans
Nadorp who had the first Wilke boat in the Netherlands, NED 26
now Feng Shui. It was the autumn of 2002, and I was part of the
race committee for a closing event at the Royal Yacht Club, The
Kaag, where the 5.5 Metres were also racing.
“After the races we were having some drinks on the starting
Former Vice President Sailing, Kim Chabani, talks
about 5.5 Metres, how he got started, a lot of fun
along the way, and what the future holds
vessel called Modesty, which was owned by Ton de Bruijn. Ton
and Hans were joking about sailing, and they were absolutely
the opposite of each other in every aspect. If Hans said A, Ton
would say B and vice versa. So, while joking Ton said to me,
Kim if I buy a 5.5 will you sail with me? Hans said, you would
never buy a 5.5. Well, that was Ton’s trigger to pick up the
phone, call Wilke and order a new 5.5 to be delivered in 2003.
He came back and said, done.
“So, there we were. I had only one or two years of non-regatta
sailing experience in a Laser and Ton not having sailed for about 20
years, now had a new 5.5 Metre.”
KIM’S FIRST SAILING experience
was in the local sailing school at
the age of 16. From there he and
his brother and bought a Laser and
started sailing at The Kaag.
However, “I liked the sailing,
but I also had a big interest in the
rules of regatta sailing. So, after a
year or two I was done sailing and
got more into the rule and regatta
organisation. About 20 years
ago Jan Willem van Weezenbeek
took me to the Cadet World
Championship in Nieuwpoort,
Belgium, to get familiar with the
judging and umpiring. Being part
of such a large international event
was a huge experience for me, so I
started concentrating more on rules
and became a National Judge and
continued developing towards IJ,
but never finished the certification
due to lack of time to take part in
38 • fivepointfive • APRIL 2023