Team Childhood I starts prologue with third place in coastal race in Klaipeda, Lithuania
by Team Childhood I 8 May 01:21 BST
Childhood 1 VO65, training in Scheveningen before the Ocean Race Europe © Sander van der Borch
In the run-up to The Ocean Race Europe, Team Childhood I is sailing the prologue. Onboard nine sailors under the age of 30.
Friday the Prologue for The Ocean Race Europe started in Klaipeda, Lithuania. This race in preparation for The Ocean Race Europe started with a coastal race. The Swedish - Dutch Team Childhood I finished third. Afterward team coach Pieter Jan Postma was satisfied with the result. Postma: "We're in the game, it's a good start. We only just started to sail together. The team is young and new to each other. But during the race, we already moved forward in the field."
The victory in the coastal race was for Sailing Poland. The local hero's of AmberSail2 took the silver. The Austrian Ocean Race Project became fourth, behind Team Childhood I.
Postma: "We only just started to sail together. We need to get used to each other. Today you can see that in some small things and then this coastal race of around three hours is just too short to make up for it. We are satisfied with how it went and where we are. Although we had to go back at the start, because we were too early, we could overtake the Austrian team in the first downwind. By the end of the race, we also got closer and closer to AmberSail 2, in second place. This is a good start from which we can continue to work further.
Prologue Crewlist:
1. Jelmer van Beek (NED) - co-skipper
2. Rutger Vos (NED)
3. Max Deckers (NED)
4. Laura van Veen (NED)
5. Arianne van Loosdrecht (NED)
6. Lars van Stekelenborg (NED)
7. Robin Jacobs (NED)
8. Julius Hallström (SWE)
9. Matt Whitehead (SA)
10. Pieter Jan Postma (NED)
11. E.J. van Housselt (NED) - skipper
Team Childhood I sees the Prologue as a learning process. Postma will use it to select the talents that will participate in The Ocean Race Europe with him and the previously announced Poortman, Van Niekerk, Verbraak, and Tienpont from the end of May.
The prologue will resume on Sunday with Stage 1 from Lithuania to Gdynia, Poland.