Volvo Ocean Race- De Ridder to join Team Brunel for Leg 5
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com NZL on 11 Mar 2015
Dirk de Ridder aboard Pirates of the Caribbean in the 2005/06 Volvo Ocean Race SW
Team Brunel have announced that the French sailor Laurent Pagès has broken broke two ribs during the stopover in Auckland, and will be replaced by the Dutch offshore sailor Dirk de Ridder.
De Ridder’s long experience in ocean sailing and his excellent trim and steering capabilities make him the perfect candidate to join the crew on what is, undoubtedly, the toughest leg of this Volvo Ocean Race, says the Team in a statement.
In the late nineties Dirk de Ridder a.k.a. ‘Cheese’ formed a sailing team together with Roy Heiner and Peter van Niekerk. In 1999 De Ridder’s team won gold at the European Championships. He represented the Netherlands at the 2000 Sydney Olympics alongside Heiner and Van Niekerk, they finished in fourth place in the Soling Class.
In the 1997/98 Whitbread Round the World Race he finished second with team Merit Cup. In the next edition, when the race was renamed the Volvo Ocean Race, he finished in first position with Illbruck Challenge. In 2002 he won the Conny van Rietschoten trophy, this award is given to the best sailor of the Netherlands. In 2005/06 he finished the Volvo Ocean Race in second position, this time with the Pirates of the Caribbean, skippered by Paul Cayard. To top it all off in 2010 de Ridder also won the prestigious America's Cup.
'It's very sad for Laurent that he will miss this leg,' said de Ridder after being appointed by Team Brunel. 'I wish him all the best with his recovery. I will give it all that I’ve got in order to replace him and I would also like to achieve a good result with the team.'
'Dirk is one of the best trimmers in the world,' says skipper Bouwe Bekking. 'I know him well, we have sailed many times together, so I know exactly what to expect of Dirk. During the 1997/98 Whitbread Round the World Race we rounded Cape Horn together aboard Merit Cup. '
De Ridder recently completed an 18 month suspension from racing over boat tampering in the 2013 America's Cup, he denies involvement in the incidents. The Volvo Ocean Race marks his return to professional sailing.
Round the World Race Achievements:
1998 - Whitbread Round the World Race,
2002 - Volvo Ocean Race, first
2006 - Volvo Ocean Race, second
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