Team Damen takes second place in the Race of the Classics for Young Professionals

Damen recently achieved a fantastic second-place finish in the Race of the Classics for Young Professionals (ROTCYP). This event happens twice a year: universities and colleges in spring, and young professionals from big companies in autumn.

Team Damen was made up of twelve members, including Flaure Derveaux and Ricarda Lang from Damen Naval and Esmee Talens from Damen Yachting. They set sail on the beautiful Iris, from Rotterdam’s Veerhaven. “It was great to see the team’s diversity, with members from all divisions of the Damen Shipyards Group, which made it a nice occasion to meet and connect with other colleagues,” says Ricarda.

The race started off with cannon shots from sailing training ship HNLMS Urania. Despite rough waters, Ricarda explains Team Damen did an excellent job sailing. “Unlike some other teams who felt seasick, Damen’s shipbuilders handled it like pros and celebrated the arrival in Scheveningen with quayside drinks.

The race had to be adjusted a bit because of the weather, but the team sailed from Scheveningen to Den Helder, then through the Waddenzee to Makkum, where they had a nice networking lunch with the Dutch Ministry of Defence and a big dock-side party. After a good rest and the second leg from Makkum to Lelystad, Damen ended up in second place due to tricky winds behind Tata Steel. The race was celebrated with a big closing party in Beverwijk.

Ricarda: “Team Damen showed fantastic teamwork throughout the race, and the second-place finish is a great reward for our hard work. Hopefully, we can do this again next year!”