Volvo Ocean Race- A day in the racing life of an on-board reporter

by Team Brunel - Robbert-Jan Metselaar on 14 Apr 2015 You’re prodded awake in the middle of the night. After a meal of freeze-dried pasta, you hoist yourself into a soaking wet sailing suit and step outside into the cockpit. At that exact moment, the bow of the 65-foot Volvo Ocean race boat buries itself into the rear of an enormous wave. Thousands of litres of ice-cold water spray violently into your face. Your working day has started.

The strong wind makes talking impossible. In conditions like these, shouting and hand gestures are the only ways to communicate. Sails are trimmed and changed. The sailors are focussed, but they are still enjoying themselves nonetheless. This is their job. This is what they signed up for. It’s also their passion. Some have already been doing this for twenty years; for others, this is their first Volvo Ocean Race.

Their basic necessities of life are sleeping, eating and sailing fast. Between that they find time to brush their teeth, go to the lavatory and read emails from their loved ones. And there is also mopping up, cooking, photographing and filming. And all of that takes place in a bucking sailing boat that is sometimes blasted over the ocean at more than 40 kilometres per hour.

During their search for speed, and if the weather conditions allow it, there are also good conversations and a few jokes.

This is one of the major roles of onboard reporter Stefan Coppers. The cheerful Dutchman from Vlaardingen is always ready to lend a ready ear to his crewmates. “I’m always there for the lads,” says Stefan, from Itajaí. “Besides my work as onboard reporter, I’m also responsible for the food on board. The men talk a lot as they empty their stainless-steel bowls in my tiny kitchen.

There are no secrets on board. Everyone is an open book. Particularly if the results are disappointing, you can liven up the atmosphere by cracking a joke or having a good conversation. Sometimes people feel that they didn’t steer or trim well enough. When that person comes off watch, I make them a cup of coffee and we have a nice chat. And after that they go to bed with a good feeling. That makes me feel good too.”

“A further benefit is that as the cook, media man and everyone’s confidant, I get to know everything about everybody,” continues Stefan, jokingly. “For example, Louis Balcaen is the biggest eater on board; Pablo Arrarte has raised sleeping to an art form; skipper Bouwe Bekking is the most affected by the cold and Gerd-Jan Poortman is pretty often troubled by flatulence.”

According to team coach Anje-Marijcke van Boxtel, Stefan makes an important contribution to the men’s resilience. “Stefan creates a positive atmosphere in the team at difficult times. Being a ready listener and cracking a good joke from time to time, can certainly lead to better performance.”