INTERFACE JUNE 2012
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FROM THE 2ND TILL THE 8TH OF APRIL TEAM RSM HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE MOST IMPORTANT SAILING COMPETITION AMONGST STUDENTS IN EUROPE, THE RACE OF THE CLASSICS. IN THE 24TH EDITION OF THIS SAILING RACE, 19 TEAMS WITH A TOTAL OF 500 STUDENTS HAVE SAILED FROM ROTTERDAM TO IPSWICH AND VIA IJMUIDEN BACK TO AMSTERDAM. text: LAURIE ROBBEN
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After proudly attending all pre-parties it was finally time to see the ship we will be sailing on: the Hendrika Bartelds! Team RSM joined forces to load all supplies on the ship, not the easiest task when the ship is actually two ships away from the quay. But we learned the value of good supply chain management by creating a human chain from ship to ship to the final destination: kitchen of the Hendrika Bartelds. Furthermore, we had the chance to show our ship and all other participating ships to our friends and family at the Open Day of the Race of the Classics.
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Today is the official start of the Race at the Veerhaven, Rotterdam. After loading the last groceries and luggage on board, the official starting signal is given from the Hr. Ms. Urania at 12:00. For the first few hours of sailing there was a VIP drink for all the people who have helped us during the preparations, to thank them for their contribution. After an inspiring speech from our chairman, it was time to celebrate with some prosecco. After the VIPs were from board, we set sail to the North Sea, causing only a few people to get seasick. At around 6pm the competition started with the first leg to Ijmuiden.
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After a windless night, the organization decided that instead of Ijmuiden we were going straight to Ipswich, England! The entire team, including crew, was extremely excited since England has not been reached by the Race of the Classics ships in three years. Since the w weather was exceptionally nice and there was still little wind, there w were more people sunburned than seasick. However, the weak wind a also caused most ROTC-ships to be at the exact same coordinates for fi hours. five
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In the morning the wind finally started to catch on, we reached speeds of 9.3 knots and the ship was tilted at 20°. After being at sea for three days straight, we really started to realize how epic and unique the ROTC experience actually is! At 11pm we arrived in Ipswich, all cheerful and excited because we reached England. At 11:05 the first beer was opened, for the captain of course, and this was the starting signal for a slamming party with all participating teams.
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During the day everybody chilled on the deck or visited Ipswich. What a strange feeling it is when you have solid ground under your feet again! After trying to get used to this, it was time to get ready for the party at the Liquid. During this welldeserved party, the first awards were handed out to the winning teams of the first leg.
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Still tired from the party, we woke up early to get the ship ready for the second leg to Ijmuiden. We left the harbor of Ipswich at 10:30, but after a few hours we were already in the wrong direction, back to England. Whether this was caused by our navigation skills or our homesickness to Ipswich, we are still not sure. Luckily, our captain managed to get us back on track and we were finally heading to IJmuiden.
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Heavy rain and wind completed our ROTC-experience. After we missed a buoy, our fanatic captain insisted we headed back to try it again. After 4 hours of sailing and navigating we missed it again at only 5 meters distanceâ&#x20AC;Ś Of course we had to try again, causing us to arrive six hours late for the party in IJmuiden. Despite the delay, the party on the Thalassa was fantastic and if possible, the after party on the Hendrika Bartelds was even better.
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After one amazing week it is time for the last leg to the Sumatrakade, Amsterdam. The ship is clean and the bags are packed but of course the ROTC-experience is not complete without one final closing party. With the real party addicts we headed for the Port Side party in the Escape, where the awards were handed out and we could look back on an incredibly successful week! We would like to thank all the people who have made this experience possible for us. We will remember this adventure forever and we could not have done it without your help. For more information about the ROTC, visit www.rsmstar.nl/rotc or www.rotc.nl. Q
INTERFACE
JUNE 2012