Carolinj Brouwer (left) during the last edition of the VOR on board the SCA Team. Martin Keruzoré / Volvo Ocean Race

The change in the regulations of the Volvo Ocean Race to encourage the presence of mixed crews has already begun to have its effects: the Dongfeng Race Team has announced Carolijn Brouwer and Marie Riou as crew for the 2012-18 campaign. Both women join Jérémie Beyou, Stu Bannatyne and Daryl Wislang, who were announced last week as crew members for 2017- 18.

Brouwer, 43, is one of the most respected Dutch athletes. A two-edition veteran of the Volvo Ocean Race, she competed on board the Amer Sports Too in 2001-02 and Team SCA in 2014-15. It also has the award for the best regatist of the year and has been in three Olympic Games. Riou, 35, has participated twice in the Olympic Games, the last of them in Rio 2016, and has won four Nacra 17 World Cup. Both have been selected following a comprehensive evaluation programme that included both coastal and ocean navigation in Australia and Portugal.

Charles Caudrelier, patron of the Dongfeng, was delighted with the incorporation of both regatists. "I chose Carolijn because he won us several times in the previous edition, in which he carried the SCA cane in the In-Port races. We all know that it is a great cane with an excellent Olympic past, which has allowed it to become a very fast driver and that it knows where to put the ship... Marie is a great Olympic regatist with a lot of experience. Being from Britain knows the ocean candle well. She's strong, she has a great spirit and she's used to sailing with men. For her the Volvo Ocean Race is a dream and, like Carolijn, wants to win ".

Far from running away from the new regulations, the Donfgeng has had very clear benefits of having women on its crew. With these rules, exclusively male teams are limited to seven crew members, while mixed crews can choose from a number of combinations: seven men and one or two women, five men and five women or 11 women. The Donfgeng is one of three teams that has already confirmed their participation in the next edition of the race, next to the Akzonobel and the Mapfre.

Carolijn Brouwer
Born 25 July 1973
Place of birth: Leiden (Netherlands).
Previous Ocean Races Volvo: 2
Achievements: three participants in Olympic Games and three world titles.

Carolijn Brouwer (Photo: Eloi Stichelbaut / Dongfeng Race Team)

Marie Riou
Born on 21 August 1981
Place of birth: Plougastel-Daoulas (France).
Achievements: two participants in Olympic Games and four world titles.

Marie Riou (Photo: Eloi Stichelbaut / Dongfeng Race Team)