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Carolijn Brouwer – a pioneer for women sailors

Home 2025 Carolijn Brouwer – a pioneer for women sailors

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Three-time Olympian and veteran of three Volvo Ocean Races (now the Ocean Race), Carolijn Brouwer has weathered just about every type of storm at sea—from major boat damage and seasick crew to gale-force winds. But nearly running out of food and water in July during the 2025 Transpacific Yacht Race (2225nm from Los Angeles to Hawaii) was a first for the Dutch-born sailor.

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The crew on board Andries Verder’s Aragon were made to ration food and water during what is considered to be one of the more enjoyable offshore events after the Reichel/Pugh Marten 72 suffered generator problems halfway through the race.

 Brouwer (second from the left) and the Oroton Drumfire crew ahead of the 2024 Sydney Hobart - Salty Dingo/CYCA pic.

The 55-year-old who calls Australia home recalled how the 10–12 crew on the Dutch flag cruiser/racer were forced to strictly ration food and water for the final three and a half days of the race. Calculations showed they had 1.2 litres of water per person remaining, while food was limited to a single ziplock bag of snacks per person.

“If you can’t get the generator going, then we can’t run the water maker and we can’t cook our food,” Brouwer said. “All of a sudden, a race that’s meant to be easy going almost turns into a bit of an emergency.”

In addition to the broken generator, Verder was injured in a fall and Brouwer, one of the medics on board, was called upon to help out.

She described the incident-filled race as “a very good lesson for everyone” ahead of the 2025 Sydney Hobart.

International crew ready for Sydney Hobart

Brouwer will contest her fifth Sydney Hobart on board Aragon.

Aragon sailing in the Caribbean 600 - Tim Wright/RORC pic.

She admitted Aragon couldn’t be more different to the foiling IMOCA 60s she sailed on as part of Team Holcim-PRB for The Ocean Race Europe 2025.

But she has no problems swapping that adrenaline-fuelled racing experience for a berth on the Aragon in the Sydney Hobart with 13 other crew. On board is an international mix of Dutch, Australian, French, Polish, Spanish, Belgian and American sailors determined to give the race everything they have.

“It’s about the experience. Our aim is to get the boat there one piece and to enjoy the ride. And to make it special for the owner,” Brouwer said.

Action-packed two-year campaign

The core crew has remained largely unchanged across the three offshore races that formed Verder’s two-year international campaign: the Caribbean 600 in February 2024, the Newport Bermuda Race in June 2024, and the 2025 Transpacific Yacht Race. The final challenge of the campaign is the Sydney Hobart on 26 December.

Joining Brouwer on Aragon for the race south is veteran navigator Adrienne Cahalan, who will embark on her 33rd Sydney Hobart.

Verder has welcomed both professional and amateur sailors to compete in the 628nm race, along with his daughter Nina and son Lout, both aged in their 20s.

“Nothing makes the owner happier than having one of his kids driving the boat and the other trimming the spinnaker as a family,” Brouwer said. “That’s one off the bucket list for him.”

More opportunities for women in sailing

Of the more than 1000 sailors set to compete in the 80th edition of the iconic race, around 12 per cent are women.

Brouwer acknowledges that women representation in the sport has come a long way since 2008, when she was the sole woman to compete in the mixed Tornado Class (a double handed multihull skiff) at the Beijing Olympics.

“I feel like a little bit of a pioneer,” Brouwer said of her early years in the sport.

From left to right: Brouwer, Annie Stevenson (First Light), Lisa Callaghan (Mondo) and Annika Thomson (Ocean Crusaders J-Bird) ahead of the 2025 Sydney Hobart - Ashley Dart/CYCA pic.

She later joined the all-women Team SCA for the 2014/15 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, a campaign widely credited with accelerating opportunities for women in offshore sailing.

“I think that project [Team SCA] got the ball rolling and the ball is still rolling, and we all want it to roll faster,” Brouwer said. “I think it is [women representation] heading in the right direction, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting more.”