Ocean Race Europe: Letter from Rosalin Kuiper - "Back in the team - but not alone"

Rosalin Kuiper will lead Team Holcim-PRB as skipper from Kiel into the Ocean Race Europe 2025 from 10 August. The Dutchwoman is leading a co-favoured top crew that wants to finish on the podium. Her fellow competitors form a select team with Ocean Race legend Carolijn Brouwer (Netherlands), all-round talent Alan Roberts (Great Britain), Vendée Globe sixth-placed Nico Lunven and "encyclopaedia" Franck Cammas (both France).

Ocean Race Europe: Rosalin wants to know

At the same time, the former co-skipper of Boris Herrmann's Malizia team has been a busy young mother since the birth of her daughter Feis on 17 December. Rosalin Kuiper combines her two worlds with great dynamism, refreshing openness and maximum team spirit. As already in her first letterthe professional sailor also describes the fusion of her two worlds in her second letter after the first major team meeting in France, which has just ended.

With her baby in one arm and a notebook in the other hand, the 29-year-old circumnavigator, who sailed all the legs around the world in the Ocean Race 2023 on "Malizia - Seaexplorer", makes her way on course for the Ocean Race Europe.

From Rosalin Kuiper

Hey,

I've just come back from France and wow ... what an exciting time the last few weeks have been. I knew that things would change after the birth of my child, but returning to team life as the skipper of Team Holcim-PRB - with my little Feis in my arms and my notebook in the other hand - has added a whole new dimension to this adventure.

The first few weeks after the birth were full of love and I lived in my baby bubble. My whole world was Fei's. Her tiny noises, her curious eyes, her needs. It was as if the rest of life had gone on pause. But after just a few days, I found myself thinking about our team again. Slowly, bit by bit, my sailing brain came back.

Returning to the team base in Port-la-Forêt felt like switching on the lights." Rosalin Kuiper

Our boat was in the middle of a refit, surrounded by an incredible team of specialists who were all working hard to make sure we were ready for the Ocean Race Europe 2025. That immediately made me realise again: you don't do this alone. Ocean sailing is a team sport through and through. You can feel the passion and ambition in every corner of the shipyard, and suddenly I was there again.

The first meeting at 8.30 in the morning ... Let's just say it blew me away. There I was, part of our team again, my almost three-month-old baby warm and cosy in our flat, my breast pump in my bag. One moment I'm engrossed in an intense discussion about our crew structure, the next I'm feeding Feis with one hand, taking notes with the other and trying not to spill on the crew list with my crepe for lunch. And it works!

We laugh, we juggle, we manage everything. The energy in the team is electrifying. We have people in the crew who bring so much experience, drive and commitment. I'm constantly learning from them and their support - as well as that of our shore team, technical crew and sponsor - means everything to me. The first night after my first day back at the team headquarters? I didn't sleep a wink. Not because of Feis (who, thank God, sleeps like a champ for seven hours straight), but because my head was spinning.

Vendée Globe cuddly toy by Nico Lunven

So many new impressions, so much energy, so many thoughts about leadership, the boat, the crew, the responsibility. I was in the thick of it again. Fully and completely! But after experiencing so much warmth and support from the team over the following days, my head calmed down and I could finally breathe again. There were so many little moments that made me smile.

Nico, who gave Feis a cuddly toy that he had taken around the world during the Vendée Globe (I mean, come on...). Franck, who I'm now tempted to call "the encyclopaedia" because he has a brilliant explanation for absolutely everything. The whole team is full of personalities and passion. And I consider myself lucky to be able to learn from them and lead together with them.

Oh, and yes - I've started a little "milk project" together with our electronics specialist. We are looking for the most efficient way to safely store freshly pumped breast milk at sea. I had to laugh when I built a small test system at home and tested several times how much a 140 ml bottle of freshly expressed milk (at 36 °C body temperature) could be cooled with two ice packs and an insulated bag.

Wanted: Milk idea for Rosalin Kuiper

Low weight and practicality were the most important criteria. Thanks to the advice of a breastfeeding expert, I now know that I can safely store the milk on board for up to 24 hours before freezing it on land. We are still looking for a solution for longer journeys at sea - our electronics specialist will probably play an important role in this, but if you have any ideas, we would be delighted to hear them!

Clément laughed and said: 'We are perhaps the first Imoca project with dairy equipment on board!' That made me smile. Because yes, we want to be on the podium - but we are also creating space for (real) life alongside high performance. And that's the future of sport that I want to help shape. So here we are. Training starts soon.

The team is in place, the boat is strong, the energy is high and I can feel that fire again." Rosalin Kuiper

This tingling in my stomach and this pride in what we are building. And right next to me, my daughter is sleeping peacefully. It's chaotic and beautiful and sometimes even a little absurd. But it's our story. And I'm so proud of it. Thank you for reading, for following and for being part of it! A big hug, Rosalin

New team, strong service - Rosalin Kuiper will lead this outstanding team into the Ocean Race Europe as Team Holcim-PRB from 10 August: