Team Childhood I to enter The Ocean Race Europe with pro-sailors and young talents, welcomes Janssen de Jong Groep as main partner

Swedish – Dutch joint venture sets sail to keep children safe from violence and sexual abuse.

With a star ensemble of Dutch pro-sailors and young talents Team Childhood I will enter The Ocean Race Europe. The Swedish – Dutch joint venture sets sail to raise awareness for and keep children safe from violence and sexual abuse. The team led by skipper Simeon Tienpont consist of experienced names like Gerd-Jan Poortman, Peter van Niekerk, Wouter Verbraak and former Olympian Pieter-Jan Postma. The aim of the campaign is to offer young talents the opportunity to learn the knowledge and skills at the highest level possible. One of the reasons for Janssen de Jong Groep and DutchSail to also commit to this campaign.

Swedish Dutch joint venture
The campaign is a Swedish – Dutch joint venture whereby companies and organizations from both nations make it possible for the boat to sail around and draw attention to World Childhood foundation. Sailing Holland, owner of the VO65, is delighted with the cooperation.

Gideon Messink – Sailing Holland: “For the past two season we have sailed around with the VO65 for the benefit of World Childhood Foundation. It’s fantastic that we can continue our collaboration through the support of many in the coming season. With the prologue and in particular The Ocean Race Europe as the absolute highlight. It is a great opportunity that provides talented youth to gain ocean experience from the best. There is a lot of talent in both Sweden and the Netherlands. Talent that we want to give a place on board to gain experience, especially with a view to The Ocean Race 2022-2023.”

Messink continues: “That we have managed to put together a crew for The Ocean Race Europe with people such as Tienpont, Poortman, Verbraak and Van Niekerk, but also an experienced Olympian like Postma says enough. With the boat back in the water it is now up to the young talents to make the most of this unique opportunity and secure their own spot onboard.”

Tienpont believes in collaboration and is looking forward to race again
Skipper Simeon Tienpont, one of the founders of DutchSail, is looking forward to race again. Tienpont: “The idea behind the campaign is the reason why I stepped in. I really believe in cooperation. That’s the only way to be able to compete with the teams from abroad.

“Next to that, this relative short-term campaign is a wonderful opportunity to pass on our (Tienpont, Van Niekerk, Verbraak and Poortman red.) knowledge and experience to the next generation of Dutch, but hopefully also Swedish, sailors. And most important at the end of the day, we’re all just sailors. Male and female, young and a little bit older, who just want to race and win.”

Janssen de Jong and New Horizon become new main partners

Janssen de Jong Group is one of the top construction companies in the Netherlands and internationally active in the Caribbean and Poland. They join the family of main partners from Team Childhood I together with New Horizon.  

Janssen de Jong Group CEO Ivo van der Mark: “We want to inspire a new generation with entrepreneurship, innovation, and guts. We want to show that dreams come true when you persevere and work together. We already do this in the youth foil project 69F with Team DutchSail – Janssen de Jong. By committing ourselves to this Ocean Race Europe campaign, we expect to be able to get even more out of the collaboration. The sailing sport fits perfectly with our vision of team building and achieving goals. It is a wonderful metaphor for our daily work and fits well with our employees, customers and other relations.”

Family of partners
With DutchSail, Janssen de Jong Groep and New Horizon being add to the Swedish investment companies Slättö and Neptunia the family of main partners now consists of five parties. In addition, the campaign consists of three suppliers: CodeZero, Brunel and EY.

The Swedish KSSS and Dutch RNYC (KNZ&RV) and RMYC (KRZV De Maas) are the involved yacht clubs.

World Childhood Foundation
Childhood I, will sail for the benefit of World Childhood Foundation founded by H.M. Queen Silva of Sweden. Childhood works to protect children from violence and sexual abuse. They initiate and support various types of initiatives, often in partnership with grassroots organizations and other networks, to develop innovative methods that help children and families in vulnerability.

“We´re very grateful to our partner Slättö for giving us the opportunity to reach out with our message during The Ocean Race Europe. Childhood I will give us a chance to raise the awareness about sexual abuse of children and what we can do to help keep children safe. Through Childhood I we will also get a chance to broaden our network and reach more decision-makers in a whole new context”, says Paula Guillet de Monthoux, secretary general of World Childhood Foundation.

More about World Childhood Foundation: https://childhood.org/

The Ocean Race Europe
The inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe is scheduled to take place this spring. Leaving Lorient (FRA) on Saturday, May 29th the teams will sail in three legs to the finish in Genoa (ITA). The Ocean Race Europe is preceded by a Prologue from Klaipeda (LIT) to the South of Sweden. After which the fleet sets course on its own towards Lorient (FRA).

Janssen de Jong Groep
Janssen de Jong Groep is one of the top construction companies in the Netherlands and operates internationally with subsidiaries in the Caribbean and Poland. They are active in all phases of the real estate chain: new construction, maintenance, restoration & renovation and redevelopment. Janssen de Jong Groep wants to be a pioneer in the development and application of circular total solutions. By doing so, they want to create movement in the market and give substance to a sustainable society that will also be liveable for future generations.

New Horizon
New Horizon believes in a circular economy as the new economic model. They work in an entrepreneurial way on the transition to this new model. They do this with perseverance and courage! New Horizon shows that circular entrepreneurship is better, by doing it. Risk bearing and with passion.

DutchSail
DutchSail is a non-profit Foundation with one goal: to bring together and keep together all parties who directly and indirectly support water sports in the Netherlands. An important part of bringing this together means that the current, rather big step from the Olympic sailing disciplines, in which “we” are so good, to the non-Olympic but prestigious sailing disciplines must become smaller and easier.

Slättö
Slättö is a Swedish manager of alternative investment funds focusing on Nordic real estate. Through development of new projects and asset management Slättö creates value for its investors, customers, tenants and the society as a whole. Since foundation in 2013, Slättö has established a strong track record within the firms’ thematic investment strategies. Sustainability is part of Slättö’s DNA and the company is signatory of UN Global Company.

Norberg Yachting
Pelle Norberg, Co-founder of Team Childhood I, has extensive experience in international yacht racing and commercial sailing projects, among other things CEO and Team Head for Team SEB in the Volvo Ocean Race and CEO/Co-Founder of HiQ Sailing Team/60 foot ORMA Trimaran. Norberg Yachting Ltd works with both off shore sailing, charter sailing, fleet racing, project management of international sailing projects and marine event management. The company have worked with everything from the Volvo Ocean Race, Nokia Oops Cup and Round Gotland Race to sailing events in the Stockholm archipelago with a focus on life enjoyment.

Sailing Holland
Sailing Holland was founded in 2013 by Gideon Messink and Anita van Oeveren with the aim of participating with a Dutch boat in the Volvo Ocean Race. And with success, both in 2014-’15 and in 2017-’18, Sailing Holland participated as Team Brunel in the Volvo Ocean Race. Sailing Holland owns the boat, works preferably behind the scenes, and is operationally responsible for the campaigns.