TRAGEDY ON ABN AMRO TWO

May 18, 2006 09:00 0 comments

TRAGEDY ON ABN AMRO TWO

Thu, 18 May 2006 06:05:34 UTC

A crew member aboard ABN AMRO TWO, one of the yachts competing in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06, died earlier this morning after failing to regain consciousness after being swept overboard from the boat.

The crew member has been named as Hans Horrevoets, 32, of The Netherlands.

ABN AMRO TWO was sailing in five metre seas and 30 knot winds about 1,300 miles from Land’s End, England when Horrevoets was washed overboard at 0211GMT. The crew of ABN AMRO TWO immediately turned the boat around, took the sails down and mounted a search and rescue effort. Horrevoets was located and lifted back on board.

However, despite the efforts of fellow crew members to resuscitate him, under the direction of medical advisors from Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Horrevoets failed to regain consciousness.

Next of kin have been notified and more details will be released as soon as they become available.




Hans Horrevoets will be remembered as a tremendously talented sailor with a real passion for the sport. He was instrumental in many Dutch yachting campaigns,personally I most remember him for his work optimising and racing Holmatro in the 2004 Commodres Cup, quite frankly the boat was unbeatable.



He was one of the selectors for the ABN AMRO TWO Crew and was brought into the racing crew at the last minute and by all acounts was very much one of the driving forces in the young boat team.

I am personally very saddened to hear of his death, I had the privelidge of meeting and competing with Hans on several occasions and always found him full of life and full of fun. Hans leaves behind him a young family which makes this news even more sad.

Below is an interview that Hans gave www.bangthecorner.com at the end of last year,this site will be very much behind any help we can give his family at this time and in the future.

Profile interview with Hans in July 2005


What are your three favourite sailing venues?
- Rio
- BVI’s
- Of course The Solent

Where is your favourite bar?
- De Bommel in Breda, The Netherlands

Favourite tipple (drink)?
- Bacardi & Coke

What do you consider to be your greatest sailing win?
- First place in sixth leg Volvo Ocean Race 1997/1998

What is your greatest strength on a sailing boat?
- I am not a specialist on one position. I am very all-round which probably makes me a good coach / tactician

Where and what was the first boat that you stepped in?
- Mirror dinghy

What sport did you do at school?
- Something completely different: badminton

How would you improve the sport of sailing?
- More synergy between the sport and business. You simply need money to race.

One design, box rule or handicap?
- Sailing wise one design, but I really like the technical aspects of the sport. Box rule and handicap can be very interesting as well.

Most scary moment on a boat?
- sailing with my girl friend

What is the longest race you have ever done?
- Volvo Ocean Race 1997/1998