May 19, 2007
by Mean Machine Sailing Team
19 May |
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Things really couldn’t have got any better for the Mean Machine team on their last day of offshore racing in the North Sea Regatta.
The Mean Machine VO 70 crossed the Dutch finishing line of the 185 mile offshore race at 35 minutes and 50 seconds past ten in the evening (local time), with a few successes to celebrate. The first reason to celebrate was breaking the existing record for the leg after racing against some 50 other boats from Harwich (UK) to Scheveningen (Holland); the second, their line honours in this first stage of the North Sea Regatta; and finally a birthday to celebrate for Mean Machine skipper and CEO Peter de Ridder.
Peter de Ridder’s Mean Machine Volvo Ocean Race boat took 11 hours and 05 minutes to cover the 185 miles that separate Harwich from Scheveningen, smashing the old record set by the Lutra 56 ‘Formidable 3’ at 19 hours, 14 minutes and 38 seconds.
De Ridder’s team and the 70-foot ‘beast’ with pink flames on the bow of its black hull, have brought the record for the 185 mile leg down by over eight hours.
Forecasts for the first leg predicted that conditions weren’t going to be suitable for record-breaking, but the predictions for the second and last offshore race indicated some exciting weather indeed for the North Sea Regatta fleet. Round the world sailor and Navigator on Mean Machine’s TP52 and VO 70 boats, Jules Salter explains: “It has been great, with a pretty cool forecast. We’d had southerly winds shifting to the south-west during the most part of the course, with winds ranging from 16 to 32…so a fast and wet run! It hasn’t been difficult to break the record with this boat”.
A brand new record and line honours for the crew have brought many memories flooding back for some of the round the world sailors on board, as Mean Machine’s South African spinnaker trimmer Jono Swain points out: “It’s been a really nice run from the start to the finish line, and it’s brought back memories for me of the last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. I think it’s been a great birthday present for Peter too.”
Peter de Ridder couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present; a fantastic new record and another Mean Machine victory with the team winning the North Sea Regatta offshore race. “It has been almost like a VOR mini-tour! In 11 hours we’ve experienced many of the different aspects of the race, such as the importance of teamwork and boat development. It’s been confirmation that we have a really good team and great sailors on board. I’ve only got praise for the expert knowledge and handling of the boat by Dirk de Ridder, Jules Salter, Jono Swain and Simeon Tienpont.”
De Ridder hit on some of the key differences when it comes to sailing the various boats that make up the sailing platform that is Mean Machine:
“Sometimes when you race it’s like being a classically trained dancer…the moves are soft and and elegant, like with the TP52; but racing like this is different. It’s pure “rock and roll”, for sure!”
“It has been a special birthday for me. I can describe the race in two words: fast and wet, but perhaps not as wild as other times. I am feeling more comfortable helming this boat each time we sail. It’s really fun boat, mostly riding at over 20 knots…. a wild horse! It’s fantastic to race these boats in the conditions we had yesterday.”
This is an achievement that will be added to the Mean Machine history books, and is one which leaves no doubt as to the powerful potential behind Peter de Ridder, Ray Davies’ and Dirk de Ridder’s round the world project.
It’s plain for all to see that 20 years experience, and real teamwork are the cornerstones of this team with a strong sense of who they are: Mean Machine.
