Team Holcim-PRB's skipper Rosalin Kuiper regularly reports on the Ocean Race Europe in her race blog for YACHT online. The start of the European race is imminent. The starting signal will be given today at 3.50 pm in the Bay of Strande. In the race blog, the Dutchwoman enthuses about the atmosphere in Kiel's starting harbour and looks ahead to the challenges of stage one.
From Rosalin Kuiper
I really enjoyed my time in Kiel with the people here. It was super nice! It really feels a bit like we're starting from home now as we're so close to the Netherlands. The vibe here in Kiel is great. The fans are dedicated and enthusiastic. I really like that.
The Kiel Fjord and the harbour here simply breathe maritime." Rosalin Kuiper
At the same time, we have also focussed on the first stage. When I look at it, I think that this first stage will set the tone. It will be very demanding, especially in the first 24 hours in the Baltic Sea and around Skagen. They will be intense. We won't get much sleep. We'll be reaching from the start. The first scoring gate comes extremely quickly. So it will be "push, push, push" right from the start. Then it continues downwind. And there will also be very interesting transition phases in the North Sea.
I like the intensity of this race. I have strong nerves. I'm calm, I feel good. The boat is ready. I am ready. My family is ready too. They give me a lot of confidence and security. The team has everything under control. That also gives me a lot of confidence for what lies ahead. Because everything is sorted and organised, I can be calm. That's a good thing.
The start in Kiel: Cammas steers
I realised that it really is a marathon. I don't want to waste any energy on nervousness. There are still six weeks to go. So I'd rather conserve my energy. Of course, the race will see some preliminary decisions at the start. But also in the North Sea. These transitional sections will show which courses the boats will choose. That's pretty interesting! Franck Cammas will be steering for us. Nico Lunven will be navigating. Alan and I will be in the boat.
We have a guard system within which Franck and Nico rotate. Alan and I do the same. But we will be flexible. We will probably rotate when we have manoeuvres. So it's not a fixed schedule. We also always try not to do the rotations at the same time. It's better for someone who has already sailed to stay on watch than for two new people to take over at the same time. So we only ever make the changes in a duo.
Nutrition is super important! I, for example, am gluten and lactose intolerant. We have Dairy Sac. It's a meal that you add water to. Then it takes an hour and a half and makes a decent meal. It comes from France. I've never tried it before. Then we also have freeze-dried food. I have food bags with up to 4,000 calories a day. I eat gels, bars, Huel Powder with protein and minerals. And we have some fresh fruit and chocolate nuts.
Lots of food for maximum power in the Ocean Race Europe
To stay healthy and fit throughout the race, my biggest challenge is to eat well. I have to eat, eat, eat. That's the most important thing for me. I currently have a glucose meter on my arm that measures my glucose level. It gives me a signal when the level gets too low and I need to eat. The main purpose of this is to optimise our performance during the race.
With Alan Roberts, we have a Brit on board. That's also very nice in view of the first leg to Portsmouth. He knows the area around the Isle of Wight, the English Channel, very well. He has already asked a few questions about this in the skipper's briefing. That's very good. He knows the local effects...
I enjoy my own role as skipper. There is a lot more involved than the boat, the racing, the sailing. I keep an eye on the big picture, the whole team and also on the return on investment for our sponsors. And I really, really enjoy doing that. So you have the big picture in front of you, but you can't go into total detail in all areas. I'm glad that we have experts in the entire team who work out these details and provide us with this information.
The skipper is the generalist in the Ocean Race Europe
I really like it that way. We have a flat structure in the team. I'm not the one telling people what to do. We have very good sailors in the team. They all have their own areas of responsibility. I would say:
The fewer decisions I have to make, the better it is." Rosalin Kuiper
This means that the team is self-managing and people take responsibility for their areas. But in the end, if something really goes wrong, there should of course be one person who has overall responsibility. That's me when it comes to the safety of the people or the safety of the boat.
I'm looking forward to the start! More than 2000 boats and more than 100,000 spectators are expected on the water and on land. Today is the day! I think it's going to be wild. I remember when we were here two years ago. That was super cool. I'm expecting a great atmosphere today. I'm already on the water in my mind. I want to enjoy it, but at the same time I'm focussed on leaving the fjord safely.
Portsmouth comes, a gift to Kiel remains
And we want to fight for the bonus points at the first scoring gate (editor's note: just a few minutes after the start of the race, at the early scoring gate at Kiel lighthouse, the first boat receives two points and the second boat one point). We will of course enjoy it all, but we will also remain professional as a team. Our thoughts are already at sea.
It's incredible to be here in this position, sailing off here today. After the great week in Kiel, we're also leaving something behind: it's an artificial reef that Holcim placed in Kiel harbour in June. It measures 20 metres by one metre and is made of bioactive concrete. It's basically a fish hotel where fish can grow up and live. I think it's pretty cool of Holcim that they donated it after Nico's Vendée Globe final.
