Team JAJO is complete to start The Ocean Race
by Team JAJO 28 Dec 2022 07:58 PST
15 January 2023
Gregg Parker (GBR) and Joy Fitzgerald (GBR) © Brend Schuil / Team JAJO
Team JAJO is complete and looking forward to race in the Ocean Race VO65 Sprint Cup starting on the 15th of January 2023. Two weeks after adding Bouwe Bekking as watch leader to his team of five young Dutch sailors, skipper Jelmer van Beek completed the crew with four international talents.
Just before Christmas Joy Fitzgerald from Scotland and Gregg Parker from England were the last two sailors to receive a call confirming their spots on the boat. Watch leader Bouwe Bekking is the only one on board with experience in The Ocean Race. The other crew members will be competing in the race for the first time.
Joy Fitzgerald from Scotland is the third female crew member
Joy Fitzgerald (33) was born in Glasgow and lives in Kilcreggan (Scotland) when she's not busy sailing. She's the third female crew member Jelmer added to the team. Van Beek: "We got in touch with Joy through Bouwe Bekking, they sailed together on J Class sailing yacht Svea. She brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm, both as a sports physiotherapist and as a sailor. She's very versatile and of great value to the team."
Gregg Parker (38) from England brings the extra strength we were looking for
Van Beek is happy to have Gregg Parker on board: "Gregg lives in Alicante and trained with us because we needed an extra pair of hands. We found out he could actually be our missing link so I added him to our selection process. He's a very experienced sailor and super versatile. He can help out on the foredeck, in the pit, and he's a very good grinder. He is superfit and brings us the extra strength we were looking for."
Van Beek: "This is the icing on the cake after four years of hard work"
Skipper Jelmer van Beek calls himself very lucky to be able to count on the Dutch sailors Max Deckers, Rutger Vos, Laura van Veen and Jorden van Rooijen. These sailors already sailed many miles on the boat together over the past three years. "Without this solid base I would have never been able to get this amazing crew together on such short notice. The race really is the icing on the cake after years of hard work," Jelmer states.
Watch leader Bouwe Bekking brings valuable Ocean Race experience to the team
For everyone in the team, except for around the world sailor Bouwe Bekking, it's the first time to compete in The Ocean Race. "The Ocean Race experience Bouwe adds to the team is very important to us. We are a young crew, seven of us are under 30, but we all have sailed a lot of miles to get this far. I really hope that we will have a great time on board, and an unforgettable experience with this amazing team. After spending two weeks with the team the feeling is good and everyone is looking forward to the challenge."
Team JAJO selection
1. Jelmer van Beek - NED - skipper
2. Max Deckers - NED - navigator
3. Bouwe Bekking - NED - watch leader
4. Rutger Vos - NED - boat captain
5. Laura Van Veen - NED - medic
6. Jorden van Rooijen - NED - bowman
7. Maja Micinska - POL - trim
8. Simbad Quiroga - ESP - trim/helmsman
9. Joy Fitzegarld - GBR - allround
10. Gregg Parker - GBR - grinder
The calm before the storm and the start of The Ocean Race on 15 January
All sailors are home for the holidays before everyone heads off to Alicante in the first week of the new year. From January 4th the entire team will be present and prepare for the in-port race on the 8th, a practice race on the 10th and the start of The Ocean Race on the 15th of January. The first leg is a 1,900 nautical mile sprint from Alicante to Cabo Verde, the first time the Race will visit the African archipelago.
Historically, the fleet has sailed past these islands as they head south down the Atlantic. Whilst in Cabo Verde, The Ocean Race will take part in its famed Ocean Week, with a focus on local and international sustainability issues.