The anniversary book was spirited away last May during the club’s anniversary celebrations, says secretary Vincent Blaas. A former member is probably behind its disappearance. ‘We got an email from someone calling themselves the keeper of the anniversary book, who told us to think up a stunt that would raise the profile of our sailing club in Wageningen. Only then would we get our book back.’
So last Sunday, around midnight, Blaas and two other committee members set off for the campus. ‘We jumped into the ice-cold water to raise our mast.’ Two days later, the club received an email from the university. ‘We had one day in which to remove the flag, or else we’d be held liable for the costs,’ explains Blaas. The university’s email also included a request: if Aqua ever wants to carry out a similar stunt another time, it has to get permission first. ‘But that sort of goes against the whole idea of a stunt,’ says Blaas. There is still no sign of the book.