Monique Touw (1973)
Director ASST |
Janine Scheele (1972)
Office ASST, mentor/crew several vessels |
Angelique van Dijk (1979)
Mentor |
Andi Manser (1963)
Kapitein/ mede-eigenaar van de Jacob Meindert |
Harry Mutter (1954)
Captain of the Morgenster |
Jannette Sluik (1952)
Manager/ Kok van de Tecla |
Jan Bouwman (1952)
Kapitein van de Tecla |
Jay McGarrigle (1971)
Mentor on the Europa en de Morgenster |
Marianne Visser (1955)
Cook and the mother of the Morgenster |
Susan den Bieman (1976)
Mentor |
Marijke Laverman (1980)
Mentor |
Carl Dössling (1982)
Mentor |
Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain Christian Radich |
Mark Pronk (1980)
Mentor |
Chris Hirst (1980)
Mentor |
Claire Cupples
Captain Lord Nelson and Tenacious |
Ninon Rosenkilde (1982)
Mentor/ Crew Sorlandet |
Adam Seager
First mate and relief skipper on Jolie Brise |
Adam Jasser
Captain Pogoria |
Klaas van Twillert
Captain of the Flying Dutchman |
Frank Schaafsma (1981)
Captain Jacob Meindert |
Jet Sluik (1983)
Mate and Cook Tecla |
Pieter (1950) and Ineke de Kam (1950)
Captain and Cook Tall Ship Astrid |
Dirk Gunst
Skipper Tomidi |
Tim Schipper
At Sea Sail Training Office |
Fieke de Baat
Captain Gallant |
Hilde Kertesz
Mentor |
Monique Touw (1973)
Director ASST
Most beautiful moment: There so many! Leaving Antartica with a family of whales around the vessel is one of the best! They made a lasting impression on all of us. Their grace and beauty is beyond compare.
Most exciting moment: Tall Ships Race 2001 on the Swan fan Makkum. The Leg was Antwerp - Alesund and we took the route along the UK coast. Was a huge gamble in the wind predictions, but it worked out fine, we finshed second! The night before the finish was superb with all the red en green lights showing up on our leeward side!
Motto in life: Yesterday is History, Tomorrow a mistery and Today a present!
Janine Scheele (1972)
Office ASST, mentor/crew several vessels
Most beautiful moment: So many beautiful moments. At night working in the masts with full moon, hundreds of dolphins around you, whales passing, storm, water in your neck, having fun with sailing friends from all over the world.
Most exciting moment: Too many! Cross the ocean on clipper Stad Amsterdam. Sailing 16.8 knots and the captain was happy. The engineer was not happy with this records because we are healing too much. Funny moment. Also to tack with a lot of wind and all the noises in the masts.
Motto in life: Sail your life and SEE YOU AT SEA!
Angelique van Dijk (1979)
Mentor
Most beautiful moment: Sailing from France to Portugal, surprised by Dolphins at the bow at around 2 AM!!! Because of the algaes in the water the dolphins looked like ghosts, flying through the water!! Very spectacular!!
Most exciting moment: Tall Ships Race 2006: we had severe fog during the start from Saint-Malo, had to blow the horn about every minute. We could here people talking on other boats nearby but couldn't see them. And then all of a sudden, seeing another Tall Ship sailing just next to us... Pretty scary!!
Motto in life: Live is a party, but you have to hang the ribbons/flags yourself.
Andi Manser (1963)
Kapitein/ mede-eigenaar van de Jacob Meindert
Most beautiful moment: The day after a storm along the French coast with 4 meter waves and a clean blue sky. One second you would only see waves and water and the other moment you could see the beautiful coastline. It was an amazing sailing day!
Most exciting moment: Windforce 10 climbing the mast to stow away the Royal.
Motto in life: Try and learn new things everyday and meet and life together with eachother.
Harry Mutter (1954)
Captain of the Morgenster
Most beautiful moment: Leaving port in Douarnenez with half the crew of the Shanty Choir "Liereliet". They were singing each other goodbye, the light was beautiful as it was the end of the day... the vessels were slowly sailing away from each other, it gave us all a chill...
Most exciting moment: In big storms when the visibility is only two waves the rain is pouring down and you observe the world in pictures, as in a movie.
Motto in life: Make something of your life, you have only one!
Jannette Sluik (1952)
Manager/ Kok van de Tecla
Most beautiful moment: After a long and hectic period of building and renovating the vessel, turning of the engine for the first time and sailing her for the first time. All of a sudden there was peace.
Most exciting moment: Doing 9 knots and sailing from England to the Netherlands within 13 hours during the Race of the Classics. The Tecla seemed to be singing!
Motto in life: Never a dull moment
Jan Bouwman (1952)
Kapitein van de Tecla
Most beautiful moment: Sailing through the Netherlands about 32 years ago!
Most exciting moment: Sailing into the harbour of Harlingen under full sail, doing 6 knots!
Jay McGarrigle (1971)
Mentor on the Europa en de Morgenster
Most beautiful moment: During Tall Ships Races 2006, La Coruna to Antwerp in the Middle of the Bay of Biscay we had a electrical storm. We were all on deck to lower the sails, I still have the picture in my mind of the full crew on deck (some in pyjamas) and all of us working together. We were a instant team!
Motto in life: Dream as though you live for ever, but live as though you will die tomorrow.
Marianne Visser (1955)
Cook and the mother of the Morgenster
Most beautiful moment: We were sailing close to the coast of Brittany and the water was full of bioluminescent creatures, giving the dolphins that were playing with the bow of the Jantje a fluorescent clome. It was great!
Most exciting moment: Heavy seas with the Jantje, we needed to take down the outer jib and I was the one to go to the front of the vessel; I was till my middle in the waves coming over the vessel...
Motto in life: Do not talk to much, just do it!
Susan den Bieman (1976)
Mentor
Most beautiful moment: Rowing on the North Sea at night from London to Amsterdam.
Most exciting moment: Every time rowing or sailing at night, especially the sound of the waves and the movement of the boat.
Motto in life: life is a party!
Marijke Laverman (1980)
Mentor
Most beautiful moment: When the Jacob Meindert was sailing and I was surfing the waves next to it.
Most exciting moment: Sailing with the Gallant on the North Sea with heavy winds I went out on the bowsprit to take the flying jib down, I got dipped up to my waist into the water!
Motto in life: You have to make the most of it.
Carl Dössling (1982)
Mentor
Most beautiful moment: Sail with only Tall Ships at the skyline.
Most exciting moment: To shut off the engine and start sailing.
Motto in life: To sail is life, when I die I can row... (row = 'rest' in Swedish).
Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain Christian Radich
Most beautiful moment: All those early morning sunrises, a flowing sheet, land under the horizon, a cup of coffee, and adventure ahead.
Most exciting moment: Race start off La Coruna, 2006 I think. Fabulous wind!
Motto in life: Good things do happen!
Mark Pronk (1980)
Mentor
Most beautiful moment: Climbing the 50 metres mast and having a view on a magnificent tall ship fleet, it is a picture you will never forget.
Most exciting moment: Crossing the ocean and standing behind the wheel with waves as high as houses and knowing you are going to win the race!
Motto in life: Laugh every day!
Chris Hirst (1980)
Mentor
Most beautiful moment: Sailing at night listening to the waves break and the phosphorescence flashes.
Most exciting moment: Sailing across the Bay of Biscay in a Force 11 Gale.
Motto in life: One day your whole life will flash before your eyes, make sure it is worth watching!
Claire Cupples
Captain Lord Nelson and Tenacious
Most beautiful moment: Having been lucky enough to spend the last 30 years at sea on a variety of different ships and in many parts of the world there have been so many beautiful experiences that to name one would be impossible. Every day has something that catches your attention. Things that tend to stand out in particular are interesting land falls, the effect of sunshine on waves (the bigger the better!), dolphins and whales coming to say hello, sun rise and sun sets and the amazing people you get to meet weekly.
Most exciting moment: Again, there have been some amazing times over the years. The most exciting times are when the wind and sea conditions are right and you can get some really impressive sailing in....feeling a 55m square rigged ship start to surf under you is a fantastic experience, even if you are starting to think about reducing canvas at that stage!
Motto in life: Make the most of every day and find an "Oh wow" moment daily, it's so easy to start taking for granted all the amazing things that happen.
Ninon Rosenkilde (1982)
Mentor/ Crew Sorlandet
Most beautiful moment: There's so many!!! but my favorites are the Nightwatches on the Atlantic ocean... they often left me speechless! (wich is normally pretty difficult)
Most exciting moment: Storms on the Atlantic ocean... always great, when the adrenalin starts pumping and you hands and feet think faster than your head, you just do what you gotta do. Afterwards, when you can actually feel yourself again, it just feels fantastic!!!
Motto in life: It's not about luck, it's a skill game!(Matt Damon in "Rounders")
Adam Seager
First mate and relief skipper on Jolie Brise
Most beautiful moment: Approaching the Azores 18 days after leaving Antigua on our 30ft yacht, it was a clear night sky as we sailed through shoals of plankton the size of football pitches, which were shining incredibly with phosphorescence's, parting and regrouping around our boat. With smaller shoals being rounded up and devoured by larger fish, and dolphin's tearing through for a feed as well. It was like a scene from a blue planet series with added bonus of having the mountainous peaks of the islands ahead. A fantastic crossing ended beautifully by nature for us.
Most exciting moment: Again in our 30ft yacht roughly in the middle of Biscay with the most incredible electrical storm going on all around us for the whole night, accompanied by a fair amount of breeze. Surfing down big waves pondering on the outcome of being hit by one of these incredible bolts of lightning.
Motto in life: Don't take life too seriously and squeeze as much as possible into every day of it!
Adam Jasser
Captain Pogoria
Most beautiful moment: Sunset at Little Bahamas Bank, on the way to Abacos
Most exciting moment: The Parade of Sails in the Bay of Gdansk 1974
Motto in life: Take it easy - everything will be all right!
Klaas van Twillert
Captain of the Flying Dutchman
Most beautiful moment: The most exciting and beautiful moment was when we crossed over in 2005 from Holland to Sicily the first big trip with the Flying Dutchman. We had little time to reach our destination because the ship was just refitted and the first group would be waiting for us in Palermo. When we passed Gibraltar we came in a severe storm with high waves. The waves where so high that they rose meters above the back of the ship. I was looking over my shoulder, a bit worried because the waves where so high and near. Suddenly I saw a couple of dolphins swimming through the high wave behind me. An unforgettable moment and it was as if they where telling me don't worry everything will be alright. From that moment on the trip went without any problem and we were on time in Sicily. To see dolphins on your way is always a sign of good fortune and when I saw them swimming above me I realised that I was a very lucky man.
Motto in life: Don't look back on the things in your life that went wrong, look forward and focus on the future.
Frank Schaafsma (1981)
Captain Jacob Meindert
Most beautiful moment: Sailing in a summerbreeze, steering outside, alone, while the rest of the crew was having dinner below decks. It was a friendly sea, sun was setting and some dolphins having fun around the ship. The wind was slowly increasing so we gained speed and stars where showing up, one by one.
Most exciting moment: Everytime I approach a new harbour, first birds welcome you, then you start to smell the land and then you meet new people or old friends!
Motto in life: The worst day at sea is better than the best day at the office
Jet Sluik (1983)
Mate and Cook Tecla
Most beautiful moment: In Massachusetts bay near Boston, 12 miles to the finish, no wind at all and the boat was surrounded by these small eels swirming through the water, tons of them! And as we where watching them (nothing els to do..) whales came up out the water, with their mouth open to catch some food. More then 10 whales stayed for over 3 hours, dining. Amazing! When they left, the wind picked up a little so we could finish!
Most exciting moment: Coming down from Ireland to England during the night, with a speed of 10 knots, boat singing, people sick and all of a sudden we see dolphins besides the boat. With their movement they lit up the algees so all you could see was green stripes in the water and water splashing up as they where diving. They races along in the waves beside us, but most of the watch people where to sick to notice..
Motto in life: "...your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it..." the buddha
Pieter (1950) and Ineke de Kam (1950)
Captain and Cook Tall Ship Astrid
Dirk Gunst
Skipper Tomidi
Most beautiful moment: It's far more than a moment: it's a half year's odyssee with my son Tom (°1980) around the North Atlantic in 2009 - 2010, after my wife Patricia died in August 2009. The opportunity of doing this with my son, together with the fact that I learned Tom to love sailing are BEAUTIFUL
Most exciting moment: Setting the still standing Belgian record in the 1996 Europe 1 STAR (SingleHanded Transatlantic Race) from Plymouth (Cornwall) to Newport (Rhode Island, USA)
Motto in life: When sailing becomes a passion, it's the only way of living.
Tim Schipper
At Sea Sail Training Office
Most beautiful moment: My first moment of freedom at open sea, ship in full sail, a wide horizon, a nice breeze while spotting playfull dolphins heading towards the ship.
Most exciting moment: Sailing the night in a light of a wonderfull full-moon surrounded by at least 25 dolphins hunting together. Feeling the forces of nature in her purest form!
Motto in life: You cant control the winds, but you can adjust your sails
Fieke de Baat
Captain Gallant
Most beautiful moment: My first command!
Most exciting moment: that's kind of private..
Motto in life: Steady as she goes
Hilde Kertesz
Mentor
Most beautiful moment: Sailing across the Atlantic ocean. Lisbon-Bermuda-New York
Most exciting moment: 1990: Sailing a STA-race full rigged, too much wind to lower sails, heeling so much, we could not walk anymore.. When entering the bay of La Coruna, the wind was behind the mountains and everything went quiet again.....
Motto in life: Enjoy as much as possible.
