24 June 2018 was a historic day in the sailing world. And one for Carolijn Brouwer. When the Dutchwoman crossed the finish line of the final leg of the Ocean Race with the Dongfeng Race Team after gripping hours, the jubilation in The Hague knew no bounds. In her home country, Carolijn Brouwer and Charles Caudrelier's team had sailed to stage and overall victory in the most important team race around the world.
The first Ocean Race Queen
Since then, Carolijn Brouwer has been the first woman to win the legendary race alongside her then-rotating Dongfeng team-mates Justine Mettraux and Marie Riou. She was the only female sailor to compete in all stages. Her skipper Charles Caudrelier did not bring her into the team as a token woman. He wanted the accomplished helmswoman and trimmer at his side, as she had beaten his Dongfeng Race Team in the previous Ocean Race edition in 2014/2015 with the women's team SCA in the harbour races.
With the Dongfeng victory in 2017/2018, the versatile Carolijn Brouwer became an offshore icon. Now the historically first female Ocean Race queen is celebrating her comeback under the Ocean Race umbrella, initially on the European stage: in the Ocean Race Europe, the highly competitive three-time Olympic participant is strengthening Team Holcim-PRB and the team just introduced around skipper and compatriot Rosalin Kuiper.
With the team presentation this week, Team Holcim-PRB has instantly catapulted itself into the circle of favourites. The select crew mix of two women and three men with young dynamism and high-calibre experience has what it takes to succeed in the Ocean Race Europe, for which Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia has yet to be presented.
Young dynamism and experienced clout
There is the ambitious Rosalin Kuiper, who passed her journeyman's test in Team Malizia alongside Boris Herrmann in the 14th The Ocean Race 2023 with flying colours. She then moved to Team Holcim-PRB as skipper for the Ocean Race Europe. Having become a mother in December, the 29-year-old conductor wants to fight for victory in the European regatta with her hand-picked team mates.
Rosalin had a dream and wasn't afraid to fight for it." Carolijn Brouwer
Carolijn Brouwer says of Rosalin Kuiper: "She is the youngest member of the team and the skipper. And look at what she has achieved, how far she has come in a relatively short time and the crew she has now gathered around her. We all signed up because we believe in this project. Rosalin has big ambitions for herself. That's why it's so cool that we can support her as a strong group," explains Carolijn Brouwer.
The three men in the team bring further qualities to the female "Double Dutch": Nico Lunven, who has just finished sixth on "Holcim-PRB" in his Vendée Globe debut, knows the boat best and is a master of navigation. Briton Alan Roberts brings a wealth of Imoca experience from working for racing teams such as Biotherm and L'Occitane en Provence.
Carolijn Brouwer enters new Imoca territory
Franck Cammas, 52, has lifted almost every major trophy in sailing as a performance driver. As the oldest member of the team, he contributes his expertise from winning ocean races and Ultim missions for the really big racing teams such as Gitana and currently "SVR Lazartigue", as well as his experience from working as Performance Director in the French America's Cup team or as a coach in the SailGP.
Carolijn Brouwer came into play last. She was at home in Australia, where she lives with her husband Darren Bundock and their 14-year-old son Kyle, when suddenly her phone rang and Rosalin Kuiper's name lit up on the display. That was the beginning of Brouwer's Ocean Race comeback.
Carolijn Brouwer quickly added a cheerful note to the conversation between the two strong Ocean Race women, saying to Rosalin Kuiper: "I hope you're not calling me about my Imoca experience..." They both laughed. In fact, Brouwer is breaking new ground in this area. The 51-year-old ocean racer had achieved her previous ocean race successes on VO65 yachts.
But there is also an old saying from Roy Heiner, who once said: 'A boat is a boat. A sail is a sail. And the water is the water." Carolijn Brouwer
Carolijn Brouwer has sailed on an Imoca for exactly four days so far in her career. That was in Lorient before the last race around the world and took place on the "Holcim-PRB", which has since undergone considerable further development. At the time, she decided against another round the world trip for personal reasons and recommended Abby Ehler, who became an important force on Holcim-PRB in the 13th The Ocean Race.
"This is what we love"
Now Carolijn Brouwer is back. "It felt like 'unfinished business'. That's why I'm back," she says about her motivation. At Easter, she is visiting her Dutch home country with her son Kyle during his Australian school holidays, seeing her mother, her brother and his family and friends. Carolijn Brouwer is enjoying this short break while her husband, two-time Olympic silver medallist and Nacra 17 coach Darren Bundock, is in action with Australia's Olympic sailors next week at the Semaine Olympique Française off Hyères, where the German Sailing Team is also fighting for a continued good start to the season.
Just under four months before the start of the Ocean Race Europe, Carolijn Brouwer also took a look at Team Holcim-PRB's prospects in an interview with YACHT online: "I'm not saying that we are the absolute favourites. There are a lot of good teams out there and it will be very, very intense. But that's what we love." She is convinced that she will quickly familiarise herself with Imoca sailing.
As a sailor, you become very adaptive. You use your experience and knowledge to adapt to the boat you're sailing." Carolijn Brouwer
Carolijn Brouwer continues: "I hope that all my experience from the Ocean Race and the Olympic Games will inspire my learning in Imoca sailing. After all, regatta sailing is all about high performance. With my previous Tornado sailing, experience from the foiling A-Class and starts in offshore regattas, I have developed in my own way."
Five strong players, one team for the Ocean Race Europe
Looking at her new team, in which a total of five sailors will rotate and are expected to skip one of the five legs on the European course from Kiel via Portsmouth, Cartagena, Nice and Genoa to Boka Bay in Montenegro, Carolijn Brouwer is convinced that Team Holcim-PRB has a strong overall package: "You can't really say no to a line-up like this."
She says: "I didn't know Alan yet, but he has a lot of Imoca experience. Nico has just sailed a very strong first Vendée Globe and his navigation is outstanding." Carolijn Brouwer knows Franck Cammas best: "I sailed with him on Dongfeng."
Brouwer knows: "From a performance point of view, Franck Cammas is a bit like Pascal Bidégorry at Dongfeng: as navigator, he always had a keen eye for the boat's performance and was always looking to get 0.1 knots more out of it. He is always looking for the optimum performance, for every ounce of improvement. Franck is the same."
The Ocean Race Europe lures with unknown territories
What also fascinates Carolijn Brouwer ahead of the start of the Ocean Race Europe off Kiel from 10 August: "We will be sailing partly in European waters that we don't know yet, where none of us have ever been. That puts the teams on a comparable level."
As a regular starter in the Sydney-Hobart Race, Carolijn Brouwer is also looking forward to the shorter stages compared to the Ocean Race around the world. "Sometimes shorter stages are harder than the longer ones. They are almost like sprints and will be physically and mentally tough and intense."
Team Holcim-PRB will start training in May after taking over its Imoca from the winter refit. The team will be based in Port-La-Forêt until the end of June. Will they use the Ocean Race Europe as a springboard for their comeback in the race around the world? Carolijn Brouwer laughs and says: "I'm really happy to be back. But let's not jump to conclusions and take it step by step."
Carolijn Brouwer wishes you a happy Easter
For Carolijn Brouwer, the comeback is a positive step: "I have been working as a coach for the last two and a half years and have competed in a few offshore regattas and A-Class races. I have always pushed my own sailing to stay sharp. But now I'm very excited to be back in a team and back in the racing that has been part of my life for so many years."
Before that, Carolijn Brouwer is celebrating Easter with his family this weekend in a holiday home in the north of Holland. With an Easter egg hunt, of course. "We'll be hiding eggs for the kids. And a bottle of wine for the adults. Happy Easter!" says Carolijn Brouwer.
The short clip on Carolijn Brouwer's involvement in the Holcim-PRB team:
Goosebump moments to Vivaldi's "Winter" from "The Four Seasons". In 2017/2018, the Dongfeng Race Team won the Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018 with the historic first three female winners in race history - Carolijn Brouwer, Marie Riou and Justine Mettraux:
