From the warm waters of Rio de Janeiro to the freezing waters of the Southern Ocean, Carolijn Brouwer shares her experiences on ocean racing safety.

Carolijn started her sailing in an Optimist in Rio de Janeiro as a child. Picture perfect settings in idyllic warm waters. Still in her early years her family moved to Holland and she experienced her first cold weather sailing in dry suit, beanie and gloves, frozen stiff hardly able to move. Later in life Carolijn would become a world champion and Olympic sailor. What is left for someone who has done it all? Take on ocean racing in the freezing environment of the Southern Ocean competing not once but three times, in The Volvo Ocean Race.

The first round the world race Carolijn crewed on was the 2001-2002 event on Amer Sports Too which was a Volvo60. Carolijn recalls “we were in the Southern Ocean sailing from Cape Town to Sydney. We were sailing downwind in big waves when our bow dug into the wave in front of us and the bow completely submerged. There was so much water coming over the deck.”

This was when she first realised the power of water.

She was washed back into the steering wheel and her head was stuck in between the spokes of the wheel. On trying to push her head back out she immediately realised that would never work as the power of water is so great, there is not point trying to fight it. After the wave had passed and the water was gone on deck, she had lost her gloves, beanie and the goggles she was wearing, they were all overboard. Carolijn shares “there is no point in trying to fight the power of water. It’s like trying to swim against a rip at the beach. You are not going to win.”

The safety requirements for both boat and crew in a race around the world are more stringent and elaborate than any other ocean or coastal race. The big difference in the Volvo is the event is sailed in such remote parts of the world where rescue is so far away or might not even be able to get to the you, so sometimes your only form of rescue is your teammates or your opponents; the other boats in the fleet. Your lives are in each other’s hands. In an offshore team, you are only a piece of the puzzle and you rely on each other and have to have each other’s back especially when it comes to safety.

The recent rescue of Kevin Escoffier in the last Vendée Globe is one Carolijn will all remember for a long time. “The speed in which Kevin’s boat sank and the little time he had to evacuate his boat was mind blowing. And then the rescue operation put in place was impressive” Carolijn observed. In this incident, and so many others where life and death are at stake, it is the combination of skills, knowledge, experience and determination that gives you the possibility to take the right decision.

Carolijn’s view is that prevention is more important than any single piece of safety equipment. “Be prepared and don’t get caught out.”

We asked if she were to check one thing before leaving the dock, what it would it be. “Stay on the boat, don’t fall off” is always safety requirement number one and she would check her harness is on board and attached to her life jacket. Then next is the AIS MOB device; which some lifejackets have built into them. Check it’s working and linked to your boat, so the boat you are on is picking up the signal of your AIS device.