Plans to stage high-speed power boat races in the Wadden Sea at the beginning of August have been cancelled because the organiser has not been able to gather all the necessary permits in time, the Telegraaf reports on Monday.

The organisers of the Grand Prix of the Sea had planned to stage three days of racing between Den Helder and the Wadden island of Texel but had come under fire from environmental groups.
The organisers earlier commissioned two reports which showed the event would not cause any lasting damage to wildlife. These reports were instrumental in winning provincial support for the three-day race meeting. The Council of State on Monday also rejected objections to the plan and ruled the event could go ahead.
Despite this, the organiser said he still needed a special government licence. Because this has not yet been finalised, it is now too late for all the participants to bring their boats to the Netherlands and the event has been cancelled.