Ocean Race Europe: Like a phoenix from the ashes - first a comeback, then a final thriller

From Rosalin Kuiper

Sailing in the Mediterranean can be very demanding and tiring. The conditions are a little better at the moment, but the first few days were simply terrible. The leg started with very light winds in Genoa. I find it difficult to start in such light winds because I have the feeling that I have to be shaken up again after a stay ashore. I need to be woken up with a proper hello. I prefer it when it's windy and lively, when you can get straight into a race like this and start off with a good waking rhythm.

You get lulled more easily in light winds and have a little less energy. Ui-jui-jui, the winds were light at the start. Then came the second night. We sailed along the French coast and were close to land. We got the wind from land. The others were a tad more offshore and caught the onset of the sea breeze first. They were able to take off, while it took too long for us to get the wind.

They set off and suddenly you're no longer in the same race because they have totally different conditions out there. We got stuck in our own weather. That was the first reason why they were able to pull away. I think it was on the third night when we got these massive storm clouds. They spread out between the boats in front of us and us: the fleet was to the south, we were to the north and the clouds were in between.

Suddenly two worlds in the Ocean Race Europe

We really had opposite wind directions. They had wind from the north and more pressure from the clouds. They were still sailing downwind to the east and we had wind from the south, sailing downwind in very light winds. It was super frustrating to see them setting off. And at the same time knowing that we couldn't get past those clouds!

Nights three and four were really tough. Clouds, lightning and thunder were just everywhere. Sometimes the lightning also struck the water, but mostly you could see it in the clouds. I found it quite scary. In fact, I found it scarier than it was before I had a baby. I was even more alert and didn't want to sleep near the mast. I think that's smarter anyway.

I realised that I had become a little more cautious. It just wasn't nice conditions. The boat was hammering downwind into the humpy seas. We were sailing triple-headed and quite fast. We shot into the wind a few times. It wasn't ideal. A bit funky conditions.

Serious setback for Team Holcim-PRB

It didn't smell great in the boat either. Sorry to mention that. And the conditions are better now. But it's so hot below deck. Constantly around 40 degrees. That can sometimes smell extremely unpleasant.

On Wednesday morning, three days after the start of the leg, we were more than 150 nautical miles behind the leaders. That was super disappointing, but that's how life at sea can be. That's what happens. I was a bit down, I was annoyed because I know that we have a very good boat. We have a good project and good sailors. So why are we behind? Why are we in this position? We don't belong in this position! The position does not reflect the project, not the boat.

I really wasn't happy and was racking my brain as to what we had done wrong. Where did we lose it? What could we have done differently to not find ourselves in this position? I was thinking about the end result: what will people think? What will the sponsor think? I felt the pressure. In the end, the pressure to succeed for the project was on my shoulders. All of this was going through my head when we were behind.

Motivational skills required in the Ocean Race Europe

I tried not to show that to the crew. I tried to stay positive. I felt the pressure, but at no point did I really think that the race was over. I knew that there was still the coastal race in Montenegro to come. And that it's a long stage where anything can happen. I thought: If we can fall 150 nautical miles behind within two days, then we can also catch up three days later and have overtaken the others again. I kept the belief that it was possible, that we could make it. That feeling stayed with me the whole time.

I tried to concentrate on our own performance. Because you don't have the same wind as the others anyway. I stopped looking at the others too much. Of course you keep an eye on them. You look at where they are and what moves they're making. But I mainly focussed on our boat, our own performance data. We have invested a lot of time in optimising this performance. So you try to sail as well as you can in the right direction with the available wind.

Then, in a situation like this, it's also about motivating the crew to look after each other even more. Some people can get a bit grumpy in situations like this. So you hand out a bit more food and look after each other even more. But I think our whole crew handled the situation really well. Everyone stayed focussed and professional. We just kept sailing fast. Against ourselves.

When everyone parks in the same slack spot

We knew it was still a long stage. There were still many days left. And the Mediterranean is very unpredictable. At one point, we saw two huge patches of light wind in the forecasts. The first on the west side of Sicily. There was a transition zone, a light area. And in the afternoon of the next day, there was another huge light wind patch on the south-east corner of Sicily, another transition zone.

When we saw that, we were pretty happy. Because suddenly we were the ones sailing further downwind of Sicily at 27 knots. We could see how the fleet got completely stuck for several hours. We, on the other hand, were able to decide where to jibe and where to position ourselves: more to the north, more to the south.

We decided to simply sail directly to the next waypoint. Then we found ourselves with "Malizia" to leeward and "Biotherm" to windward of us. And suddenly we were back in the race! It was crazy, so crazy! We were so happy to see them. They then parked in the same light wind area as us.

"Holcim-PRB" unleashed: from 13 knots faster and higher

Then came a very interesting night as the fleet searched for more wind to the north. We decided to sail directly to the waypoint - without tacking to the north. We lost a bit there. "Biotherm" gained on us. When they tacked north, they were six nautical miles behind us. When they tacked north, they were six nautical miles ahead of us. When they reached the waypoint, they were 15 nautical miles ahead of us.

We were then able to make up some ground on Saturday night. Simply because of the better speed. When wind speeds of 13 knots or more prevail, we are fast, very fast. Then we can do things that the others can't do. We then sail one knot faster and higher. That was fun!

I enjoy working with Carolijn Brouwer just as much. We get on very well. She's very funny! We're both good at working straight ahead. But then there are also our little conversations. We can imitate funny voices or accents. We laugh our arses off sometimes. We're both not very shy. Then one of us tries to outdo the other.

Ocean Race Europe: the final week is underway

So if I tell a funny joke, she'll add another one on top. Sometimes we also try to shock each other with what we say. We do that in Dutch and it's pretty funny. I think it's good that the others in the crew can't understand it because it's not always charming what we say. But we laugh a lot and also see the lighter side of things. It's really nice to have a mate like that on board.

After we had set our course northwards and up the Adriatic, "Malizia", "Paprec" and "Mapei" were initially still ahead of us. We were four nautical miles behind them, but were able to overtake them quite easily. It was so good to sail in the same conditions again. We are still in that position on this Sunday morning - one day before the final in Boka Bay. The leaders are now very close together.

I have to say that the race demands a high physical toll. It is a very demanding stage for everyone. There is zero time for regeneration. On land, you have just enough time in the harbours to eat properly and catch up on some of the lost sleep. Not everything. There's not really time to regenerate your muscles and body. It's tough, but it's also manageable. There's still a week left of this race. We can do it!

Click here for the intermediate results of the Ocean Race Europe after four of five legs.

XL fight ahead in the European race

At 9 o'clock we were less than four nautical miles behind the leading "Biotherm". We could see Team Malizia and Team Parpec Arkéa behind us. Mapei had already fallen behind. This race was definitely going to end in an XL fight! We knew that beforehand. The crew is doing well.

Team Holcim-PRB in forward gear. The Saturday clip gives a good insight into life on board for the crew led by skipper Rosalin Kuiper: