- One start, three headsail set-ups in the Ocean Race Europe
- Ocean Race Europe: Overtaking manoeuvres in the Mediterranean
- Before the jury hearing: "I trust my team completely"
- The "Frosie watch": hard work with lots of fun
- A hug for Team Malizia
- The rollercoaster ride in the Ocean Race Europe
- Role model as sailing professional, skipper, mother
Team Holcim-PRB's skipper Rosalin Kuiper reports on the Ocean Race Europe in her race blog for YACHT online. After the keel crash, the repair and the successful comeback with Team Holcim-PRB, the Dutchwoman not only has sporting success to report on leg two, but also a cheerful and serious message for girls and women.
From Rosalin Kuiper
Second place on stage two feels like a victory. Just making it to the start of the stage was a victory for our team. It was a victory to cross the start line off Portsmouth after repairing the massive damage sustained in the collision with Allagrande Mapei Racing in Kiel. We showed with the start that our Shore team did an excellent job. We showed as a team that we are strong. With second place on this leg, we have now also shown the world that we have a very strong sailing team. It's like a double victory - so cool!
The boat came through this "double leg" in the Ocean Race Europe without any technical problems as a result of the collision. We experienced and learnt a lot on this leg. For example, at the Portsmouth start, when "Paprec Arkéa", "Biotherm" and "Malizia - Seaexplorer", "Allagrande Mapei Racing" and we started the race in different configurations. "Paprec Arkéa", "Biotherm" and "Malizia" had the kite up. We sailed with Masthead Code Zero.
One start, three headsail set-ups in the Ocean Race Europe
You could see the differences at the end. For us, it wasn't the best sail for the downwind conditions in the Solent. It was the kite boats that won there. I think you can learn a lot from that: just by looking at the jibe angles. When you see how high or how low the crews can go with these sails.
Many small things have characterised this leg of the Ocean Race Europe. We had very, very good sail changes on board. For example, when we rounded the buoy on the way to Matosinhos. There was an extra buoy to the west. After that we went into the downwind final spurt. That's when "Arkéa Paprec" came on strong. We set three different headsails. We changed, changed and changed because the conditions kept changing. Of course, you could see a lot in comparison to the competition, such as the boat speeds in the conditions. A lot of conclusions could also be drawn from this.
Normally, the autopilot usually takes over the steering on Imocas. But we did quite a lot of manual steering on this stage. We also have new helmets that allow us to be out in winds of up to 30 knots. With goggles to slide down, they protect us from the water spray that shoots across the deck at high speeds. When steering by hand, you learn a lot about the sensitivity and responsiveness of the autopilot, for example in supervision mode. You learn about wind angles, tilt angles and speed modes.
Ocean Race Europe: Overtaking manoeuvres in the Mediterranean
We were able to overtake "Paprec Arkéa" after the Strait of Gibraltar in the Mediterranean. They were further south, we were further north. We simply caught the wind earlier. "Biotherm" was fast. On the first day we were very close together, we saw each other the whole time. They were in front, we were in front, they were in front, we were in front.
The tracker clearly shows the decisive scene on Friday morning with "Paprec Arkéa" in the south, us in the centre and "Biotherm" in the north. At 7 o'clock in the morning, "Biotherm" was only two nautical miles away from us. They simply caught the wind first. When the wind came up, they set off. We had less wind from a different direction. And that's how quickly the field splits.
While "Arkéa Paprec" was stuck for most of the day, "Biotherm" benefited from a fairly strong sea breeze. The wind was more to the right. We also had the sea breeze, but later the wind shifted to the north. It became more of an upwind course for us. We lost around one and a half hours in this scenario on Friday.
Before the jury hearing: "I trust my team completely"
It is true that "Biotherm" has won every rating so far. They have done well. They have a very strong boat. I think Paul Meilhat knows his boat better than anyone else in the fleet. I believe that Jack Bouttell will now leave the boat after this leg and I am curious to see how things will continue with them in the new constellation. Can "Holcim-PRB" still win the Ocean Race Europe? Yes!
The jury hearing on the collision in Kiel will take place this afternoon. We'll see what the outcome is. Both teams - Allagrande Mapei Racing and Holcim-PRB - have lodged protests. We have a separate department in the team that has prepared this. I have total confidence in my team. We'll see if this results in a points credit.
The stage itself was very demanding. We all felt that. Especially on the last night, in the final hours before the halfway mark and the fly-by in Matosinhos-Porto, when we went round the last buoy. So many sail changes in rough swell. It was wet and very intense. There was a lot happening in fast changing conditions.
The "Frosie watch": hard work with lots of fun
At that point, we had been jibing one after the other since Gibraltar. Jibe, jibe, jibe, then these light winds. You have to adapt so quickly! Foil down, foil up, foil down, foil up again. Full programme with every wind change. My body hurts, my muscles are tired. This stage had a huge impact on my body overall.
But I loved them! It was so much fun with everyone on board. Franck and I have grown close. We get on very, very well. We form a watch: the "Frosie watch". It's just great fun. We work hard and we laugh a lot. We sing songs together and share our food. We share an orange every morning. On the first few days, I shared my breakfast with him. With freshly pumped breast milk.
I asked him: "Franck, do you want some more of my leftovers?" He said, "Sure." I said, "There's fresh milk in there." He asked, "Your milk?" I said, "Yeah." He then like, "Okay, why not?" He tasted it and smiled, said, "Not too bad." It's just funny that things like that exist. We prepare food, coffee and tea for each other. We support each other. And that's cool.
He pushes Franck hard. In a good way. I like to push hard too!" Rosalin Kuiper
For example, I learnt a lot from him when I was doing my taxes. He's really good at it. When he steers for an hour, an hour and a half or even two hours, I usually sit in front of him in the rear hatch of the boat. He shows me the numbers, explains what he feels and why he does what he does. I am someone who can study procedures and copy them very easily because I listen and then just do it. Then I steer for an hour and a half, he looks and says: "Hey, not so bad. The ship's performance data is over 100 per cent. You've won on 'Biotherm'. Not bad at all." That's nice to hear and share.
We have a lot of fun with everything. I laughed my head off sometimes. Even with our on-board reporter Anne Beaugé. And then the Ocean Race Europe is also a nature experience. We saw a whale and a large group of hunting dolphins swimming alongside the boat. On the last night before crossing the finish line, I saw hundreds of jellyfish. Flying fish hit me in the face twice the night before the Cartagena finish. It's great to see all this life.
But I must and would also like to say that we spotted a crazy amount of plastic in the water last morning from the Spanish coast. There was plastic floating around every 200 metres. I've never seen it in such an accumulation.
A hug for Team Malizia
What do I think of Team Malizia on this stage? I'm sending them a big hug! I think they had a tough leg. Because they have new foils, it's hard for me to say whether the boat is difficult to sail in light winds. But what I can say is that they were not so fast in very light winds, even during the training sessions with the Pôle Finisterre.
Her hull is more suited to rough, choppy and windy conditions. "Malizia" doesn't do nosedives, of which we experienced quite a few on the last leg. Jesus, you've just made yourself a milkshake, then a nosedive and boom, the whole milkshake flies through the boat.
But once again about "Malizia": I think the new foils are better than the old ones. Your boat is heavier, less made for light winds. That's what you can see. On the other hand, we were also sailing in different wind windows. It's hard to compare apples with pears.
The rollercoaster ride in the Ocean Race Europe
I have been asked if I enjoy the Ocean Race Europe? Yes, I am enjoying it so much! Because it's cool to visit so many places in such a short time. It's been a rollercoaster ride since we arrived in Kiel. I'm still full of adrenaline. I'm pleased that the team is working well. We have achieved so many things together, including the repair after the damage.
I enjoy the fact that the sailing team is growing and that everyone has found their place in the team. In the beginning, it took a lot of energy to find your place. Now the places and responsibilities are all well filled. We can rely on the people. That also takes away uncertainties. It's working!
I also really enjoy having my family in every stage harbour. It's very special for me. This was the first time I was away from my daughter for six days (editor's note: daughter Feis was born in December). I was a bit worried about it. I thought, I can't leave my daughter, she's my whole world. Then someone said to me that I shouldn't be stupid and that I just had to give it a try because otherwise you wouldn't know.
And then I loved being at sea!" Rosalin Kuiper
I love to feel the wind on the sea, the dark night, the stars. The sea creatures. The smell. I love the racing! The vibrations on the boat. The people around me and how the mood changes with every change in the weather. I love it all!
I love looking into the sails and making sure they make the boat go even faster. To see if you can squeeze another 0.1 knots out of the boat. I watch the competition day and night and love to study them. And it makes me really happy that I still love it all.
As a mum, I don't feel guilty about going sailing. It was one of the best moments of my life when I came back yesterday morning and saw my daughter again. It was 7 o'clock in the morning. She just woke up and looked at me so lovingly. I know she is in the best of hands. Coen (ed.: Kuiper's partner) is doing so well. She is so happy. She's growing, laughing, playing, doing everything a baby should do.
Role model as sailing professional, skipper, mother
I don't feel any difference between us now that we are together again. After the press had left the dock half an hour after arrival, I was able to breastfeed my baby. That made me the happiest mum in the world. It's this combination that fulfils me and makes this Ocean Race Europe so special. To realise that you can be a professional sailor, a skipper and a mum. That is very rewarding.
And I hope that it can be an example for women in sailing in the future. It is possible! And you know what: if you just do it, you can even share your freshly pumped milk in your breakfast cereal with a Franck Cammas. That's so funny. And I would also say: it's the new normal!
