It's 6:30 a.m., a family is just crawling out of the harbour basin in front of the Kiel Yacht Club after their morning swim and boarding their yacht. Just a few hours earlier, I learnt that I could interview Rosalin Kuiper, the designated Ocean Race Europe skipper from Holcim-PRB. A little tired but with a consolation orange with a spidery smiley face painted on it in my hand as a gift because Oranje had lost the European Championship match last night, I was really looking forward to the interview. I spoke to Rosalin about respect, humour and common wavelengths on board. And how much she is looking forward to the start of the Ocean Race Europe in Kiel in 2025.

You studied psychology, specialising in team building in high-performance sport. Now there are five people in a very confined space on board a racing yacht. This is not only a physical challenge, but also a mental one. You once said that mutual respect is important despite all the differences, as is humour and fun.

Yes, that is the basis for success in offshore sailing. I mean, when you spend so many days on the water together, like when we sailed from Cape Town to Itajaí in the Southern Ocean, you have to enjoy what you're doing. On the boat, we all realised how depressing the days can sometimes be. When it's grey, when it's cold, when it's stormy and rainy. But if you always see the funny side, if you always make jokes, if you make fun of each other, then you realise what an absurd situation you're actually in. Then you can really enjoy it. And then you laugh about it. If you don't do that, it kills you.

The other thing, respect, is super important. In general, it's important in life to have respect for each other. Especially when you live together in a few square metres, you have to have respect for each other. You can't be a professional sailor without that. And I've personally found that a colourful mix of people is really important. I absolutely believe in this group dynamic between different genders and also different age groups. I've found that when you sail with lots of different cultures, like in the last Ocean Race, you automatically tolerate something more than if you only sail with your own nation, for example. Yes, that creates a different atmosphere.

That's interesting. I only joined the Kiel marketing team four weeks ago and I'm sitting in a room with three colleagues. We have a great rapport with each other, respectful and funny, so I can well understand what you mean.

Exactly. If you enjoy the things you do every day, you're much more willing to go the extra mile. Having fun in life is so important, you get those endorphins, you feel happy. And I really believe that if you have fun at work, you can achieve more.

You are the designated skipper of the Holcim-PRB campaign and are putting together a team. As diversity is important to you, do you already have an idea of which people you will choose?

I have ideas on how to put the team together. But luckily it's not just me. At the moment we have two skippers, Nicolas Lunven, a French skipper, and myself. Nicolas is currently preparing for the Vendée Globe in November. And I'm already working behind the scenes for the Ocean Race Europe 2025, which starts in Kiel. Of course I'm supporting him on his tour. I'm very happy that the team is now focussing on the Vendée Globe so that he can get off to a perfect start.

Would you be interested in sailing the Vendée Globe yourself? I mean, now that you're pregnant, it might not be the best idea at the moment..

Good question ... I think the Vendée Globe is a very different race to the Ocean Race, for example, where you sail with several people on one boat. Well, never say never, but what I really like is the team spirit. I just like sailing with other people. I like to feel the power of knowing that another person can give you energy to lift someone up and what you can then achieve as a team. That's what drives me. At the moment I would say that sailing with a team is just fantastic for me, but you never know. Maybe I'll change my mind one day.

The Kiel-based sailor Sanni Beucke said in our interview that sailing is a male domain and that as a woman you always have to work twice as hard as a man to be successful in sailing. How do you manage that?

The sailing scene is generally dominated by men. Personally, I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead a team as a female skipper and to bring a bit of variety and a breath of fresh air into our sport. I am very happy with my sponsors Holcim and PRB, who support me in this. Of course, it's very rare to have a pregnant skipper, but they are very positive about it. In sport in general, I can say that we're not quite there yet. But if you look at the last few years, I think the sport is slowly becoming more open to women. There is more and more diversity, but I still see it as my job to keep going. To fight for it and pave the way for those who come after me. It's not like you just snap your fingers and you're in the position I'm in now. But I definitely see a change in sport, a more open attitude towards diversity.

Not just in sport, but hopefully also in the corporate world.

Yes, definitely. But I think sailing is a few years behind.

How long does it take to get back to the real world?

I think at least six months. I spoke to Will [Harris, crew member on Malizia in the 2022/23 Ocean Race] when I saw him last week. It's a year after the race and he said I haven't fully recovered and I just said me neither. But I'm pregnant now, so I don't really know (laughs).

Not recovered means mentally?

Yes, mentally. But also physically. Just less energy. I think it took a lot.

Do you find it easier to get involved in marine conservation when you feel at one with the sea?

Definitely. During the race, I was really touched by the power of the ocean. It made my heart burn that you have such a little flame inside you, you feel that you are alive. But you also see how vulnerable the oceans are, and then you realise more and more what we humans are doing to the sea. That's not good, you know? That gave me the drive to stand up for the oceans and use my voice as a sailor to raise awareness. We can give the ocean a voice and share our experience. We've spent so much time on the ocean, and the more I look into it, the more I learn: all the science, all the research we do, but there's still so much to discover. It's very important to me to share this with people, to tell them about the experiences and also to involve the children. To really do something good.

You seem to be a very authentic person with a great sense of humour, and many fans like that and follow you on social media. During the last race, you said that not only the spectacular scenes from the boat should be shown, but also the sweaty pants and the broken sailors. What do you think about 24/7 coverage of the boats? Wouldn't it make the sailors vulnerable in a way if everyone could see everything at all times?

Well, I'm just who I am and I live my life the way I want to live it. You can't wear a mask when you're sailing. You can't hide on a boat, and more importantly, you can't hide from who you are. If you have a normal job and you're sad or angry or tired, you can put on a mask when you go to work and then moan at home in the evening, can't you? But you can't do that on the boat. I think it depends on how you deal with these situations, it's neither right nor wrong. It's just who you are. It's human nature. For me, it's okay to share that. If people take something interesting or inspiring from it, so much the better.

We live in a world dominated by images. I still love seeing all the photos and videos of the Kiel Fly-by in June 2023. What were your feelings on board when you sailed into the Kiel Fjord? There were more than 120,000 people on the shore, more than 3,000 boats on the water, simply overwhelming.

That - was - the - next - level! It was totally crazy. It was insane compared to all the other harbours we'd been to before. Of course, every harbour is special, but this one was really another level with hundreds of boats on the water. I was glad of all the patrol boats that cleared the way for us because we were on our foils and travelling at great speed. I felt like I was in another world, you know. All these people on the shore. It's absolutely fantastic that there are so many enthusiastic spectators in Kiel! Crazy and fantastic. And it makes me want to start the race in Kiel in August 2025!

That's why Kiel is also called Kiel Sailing City. Many people here like sailing, even if they don't have their own boat, they like it. It's a kind of lifestyle, because no matter where you are in Kiel, everything is close to the water. I think seawater flows through the veins of the people here.

To be honest, I can hardly wait for next year's start here in Kiel. It's going to be a super, super start. Yeah!

Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please feel free to contact me.