The unexpectedly violent boat movement of the "Malizia - Seaexplorer" catapulted Rosalin Kuiper out of her bunk in her sleep on Sunday morning at around 10 o'clock German time. The Dutchwoman hit her head on course for Cape Horn. She sustained an injury above her right eyebrow.
Rosalin Kuiper rests with a concussion
The crew led by skipper Boris Herrmann quickly came to her aid and realised that the 26-year-old's wound was bleeding heavily. While navigator Nico Lunven secured the boat, Boris Herrmann contacted the team ashore to inform them of the accident. Herrmann then contacted the official race doctor Dr Spike Briggs from MSOS (Medical Support Offshore Ltd.) to clarify the best method of treatment.
Will Harris and Antoine Auriol cleaned and dressed the wound and then monitored Rosalin Kuiper continuously. They also kept an eye out for any worsening symptoms of concussion. When Dr Spike Briggs called again at 18:30 German time, he confirmed that Rosalin Kuiper had suffered a concussion and needed to rest as much as possible. Kuiper has been stabilised as well as possible in the heavy seas of the South Pacific.
I'll get over it. I look like the pirate Rosalin now." (Rosalin Kuiper)
The team continues to monitor her condition while Kuiper rests. Team Malizia announced the accident on Monday night and reported that Kuiper was "very brave" and "on the mend". In a message to team director Holly Cova, Kuiper's sense of humour had already flashed again when she wrote a few hours after her accident: "I will get over it. I look like Pirate Rosalin now. The blows (in the boat) are pretty hard and reverberate in my head, but I think I'll be fine. I'm sleeping a lot and the boys are looking after me very well."
Will Harris: "She's really brave"
Will Harris had sent Team Malizia's shore crew this message on Sunday: "It's hard to keep the boat from spontaneous swings at the moment. We're doing what we can to keep it stable, but the conditions are incredibly tough. We're keeping a close eye on Rosie and doing everything we can to make sure she's okay. She's being really brave and trying to rest."
Due to the boat's current position at latitude 56 degrees south and the fact that Rosalin is in a stable condition, Team Malizia believes that continuing the race is the best option. The crew, the shore team and also the Ocean Race management around Phil Lawrence are monitoring Rosalin Kuiper's condition. Her care is being provided in consultation with the doctor. As the winds will continue to decrease, Team Malizia is expecting calmer conditions on Monday. The team will provide further information about the accident and its consequences during the course of the day.
