Volvo Ocean Race and the 'Oosterschelde'

10 October 2014

Update by captain Maarten:
“The ‘Oosterschelde’ is in Alicante for the start of the Volvo Ocean Race. Team Brunel charters the ‘Oosterschelde’; they are participating in the race under the leadership of skipper Bouwe Bekking. And we are sailing day trips with sponsors of the team.
We are on the water every day watching the Volvo Open 65’s racing by! When we are sailing with our guests doing 4 knots, they come racing by with 14! It’s definitely the Formula 1 of sailing.
It was so cool to be at the inport race at just half a mile from the start. The field is not too big so when you blink the ships have rounded the first buoy and are getting ready to tack for the next one.
It is great to see the whole organization behind the team. Next to the sailors there is a shore team that does the maintenance and of course PR, media, there is a cook, dietician, doctor, physiotherapist, etc. They have their base right opposite of the ‘Oosterschelde’ and they use it like their living room. The ‘Oosterschelde’ is an extension of the base to get away from the circus. Team members are on board, some sleep here, there are meetings and some walk in for a drink.
Tomorrow the first leg starts, to Cape Town. They start in an Olympic course. And this means that they will sail by us. I am curious to see how Team Brunel will do on this first leg. But anyway I am so lucky and happy to be here to experience all this! As a little boy I followed the Whitbread-around-the-world-Race from start to finish and now I am closer than I ever dreamed I would be!”