Mean Machine Sailing Team

Mean Machine is a sailing team with many international successes behind them, and a series of boats all with the same name, Mean Machine, owned by Dutch Businessman Peter de Ridder.

The team has a core of crewmembers who’ve been with the team for the last 15 years. Alongside de Ridder, at the heart of the Mean Machine team are internationally renowned sailors who also sail in classes such as the America’s Cup or the Volvo Ocean Race; Tom Dodson and Ray Davies from New Zealand, and Briton Jules Salter.

History

The Mean Machine team starts sailing in 1985 with the Mean Machine One-Tonner. Peter de Ridder and an almost entirely amateur team sail into sixth place in the World Championships of the class in the Spanish Island of Mallorca. Since then, with 22 years of sailing history behind them, Mean Machine have notched up some of the most prestigious World and Continental titles, placing them near the top of the world rankings in the sport.

Achievements

Some of their achievements include: 2006 Winners of the Breitling MedCup Circuit (pro and amateur categories); third place in the TP 52 Global Championships, celebrated on the Italian island of Sardinia in September 2007.

In Autumn 2007, the team finished building her newest addition - a Farr 40 One-Design, number 21 in the series of Mean Machine competition sailing boats. Winter 2007/08 will see the launch of an even newer Mean Machine, a TP 52 to replace the one that Peter de Ridder and crew sailed to victory on in the 2006 MedCup circuit.

2007

• Hyéres Trophy - 6th
• 2007 Breitling MedCup - 5th
• TP52 Rolex Global Championship - 3rd
• Trofeo Portugal - 1st on the Overall Classification and also 1st on the Corinthian
• Regatta Breitling - 9th
• Copa del Rey Trophy - 9th
• Trofeo Alicante - 1st in Corinthian and 2nd on the overall classification
• North Sea Regatta - Winner & Record Breaker VO70
• Key West Race Week - 2nd Mumm 30 Class
• Acura Miami Race Week - Winners Mumm 30 Class
• Hublot Palmavela - Winners TP 52 Class

2006

• Winner Miami Race Week Mumm30
• Punta Ala Trophy 2nd TP52 class
• Trofeo Castellon 3rd TP52 class
• Winner Breitling Trophy TP52 class
• Copa del Rey 5th TP52 class
• Winner Athens Trophy TP52 class
• Winner Trofeo Ibiza TP52 Class
• Overall Winner of TP52 Breitling MedCup Circuit
• Mumm30 Worlds 4th overall

For further results see team website Mean Machine

Boats

The team is well known for its trademark characteristics: over the last few years the boats have all had black hulls, with pink flames rising up the bow.

References

• Yachting World (Spain): Oct 2007 - p.24 "Mean Machine prepara su asalto a la clase Farr 40"
• ABC Newspaper (Spain): 28/11/07 - Interview with Peter de Ridder "Cuanto más dura es la competición más dulce es la victoria"
• Levante Mercantil Valenciano Newspaper (Spain): 28/04/07 "Palma disfruta la Hublot)

See also:

• MedCup results 2007
• MedCup results 2006
• ISAF: International Sailing Federation article
• Mumm 30 results Accura Miami Grand Prix 2007