El Don - Mochilero de la Vida

The Blog of Sijbrand Booij / Brando / El Don.
A story of a Dutch guy who just enjoys life...

Quote of the Day:
Make big decisions with your heart,
the small ones to achieve them with your head

In the RRT 2005, held at the coastline between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil , for the first time there was a Dutch team, The Dutch Connection, competing for the victory in one of the most exiting watersports events of the world, the Rubson Raid Turquoise.

Being the new guy in the group, no high expectations were there at the beginning. Without experience with the boat, the equipment, the mostly spoken French language and the event in total, it would be nice if the team would be able to cope with the race at all! But things went differently. As from day one, with a “no holding back by known knowledge” attitude, they just went for it all. Already soon the other teams as well as the organisation had to keep an eye on The Dutch Connection, working their way up as a serious candidate for the final victory.

A victory that could not be taken unfortunately. But with a 6 th place overall and a 2 nd place in the pilots championship, they sure did put themselves on the menu! And once that taste for speed, water and big RIB's was developed, there was no change in stopping the Dutch!

So here they are again. The Dutch Connection! But they did bring some friends with them for the Rubson Raid Turquoise 2006, being held in Thailand this December. With no less than five (!) Dutch teams, they will line up at the start at Phuket. All five teams have been formed around the pilots of the original Dutch Connection., Gert-Jan van der Valk and Mike Heesen.

Rubson Raid Turqoise Edition NL

Gert-Jan, being the owner of a big outdoor sports resort called all Sports Resort Maurik, developed with Rubson Benelux and Yamaha Motor a local version of the Rubson Raid Turquoise, surprisingly called the Rubson Raid Turquoise – Edition NL! This event has been put up as a selection event, to form another Dutch team that will compete in this years Raid. With over 650 competitors, several selection days were held at the resort, resulting in a stunning spectacular final event at the wild North Sea on October 1 st . Out of those 650 competitors, 5 tough guys have been selected, and they will form the third Dutch team competing in the Raid, Team Rubson Benelux.

The third team you say? What happened to team number two? Well, Gert-Jan van der Valk and Mike Heesen wanted to have a little friends-competition themselves it seems, because out of the original Dutch Connection, two new teams are form: Dutch Connection 1 and Dutch Connection 2. Gert-Jan still being the captain of DC1, formed his team again. Not only two members of his team of last year, Peter Bijvelds and Marcel Huisman, are taking part, he did complete his team with two new members: Sijbrand Booij, the manager of all Sports Resort Maurik and Robert-Jan van Tuijn , a highly valued staff member of that same Resort.

Mike Heesen formed his team together with another member of the old DC, Wybo Rademaker. They also filled in the blanks and their team is now completed with Wim Theunissen, a former motor cycle champion, and Michel Tetteroo who is an insider in another spectacular part of boat racing, the P1.

The fourth and the fifth Dutch team, The Flying Dutchmen and Team Amsterdam Holland, are being formed around close friends of Gert-Jan van der Valk, who brought those men in contact with the Raid Turquoise and didn't need that much persuasion power to talk them into taking part in this magnificent event.

Five Dutch teams taking part

Of course every team and every team member of the “Equipe d'Hollande” is now fully focussing on the Raid and is busy preparing himself for this extreme event. Without making any assumptions on the final results, they will do everything within their capacity to get all the Dutch teams in the higher ranks of the final listings. But most of all, with a team that big, more fun then ever will be guaranteed on the Star Flyer. Not only for the Dutch themselves, but they will make sure that every competitor of the Rubson Raid Turquoise 2006 will take part in the party that will start on December 9 th , Royal Marina Phuket, Thailand.