Mean Machine (sailing team)


Mean Machine is the name of the yachts and the sailing team 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 ; 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

For further results see team website

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.