With his parents owning a yacht that they frequently sailed with the entire family, Harald de Vlaming learned how to sail at a young age. A talented junior, he ended up in the three-person Soling boat, skippered by Geert Bakker and with his friend Pieter Keyzer as the other crew. With an 8th place at the pre-Olympic regatta in Kingston, they qualified for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. With a 13th place at the 1975 Worlds as their best performance, they weren’t among the favorites. A win and a second place in the Olympic competition on Lake Ontario brought them close to a medal, but they eventually settled for fifth place. With his wife and children, De Vlaming remained involved in the sport, among others by teaching young sailors at KRZV Muiden. He also served as a board member of the NVOD, the Dutch Olympian Association. In 2023, he passed away unexpectedly while on winter holiday in Austria.
Netherlands