Mark Rudiger passes away

Maxi-boat and Volvo Ocean Race navigator loses fight with cancer

Our thoughts go out to the family of leading professional sailor Mark Rudiger, who died from lymphoma on Thursday aged 53.

Rudiger one of the world's greatest navigators, has had some complications after a relapse of cancer and was hospitalised at Kaiser Hospital in Roseville in Northern California. Rudiger was first diagnosed with lymphoma in 2004 but recovered to continue his career, including the last Volvo Ocean Race.

His family issued the following statement:

Dear beloved sailing family, Thank you all for your good thoughts and well wishes. After a very tough battle, Mark chose to trade in his defective body for a beautiful new form and left us this afternoon. At his son Zayle's suggestion, we are going to light candles tonight to remember him and his amazing life energy. If you can, please join us by lighting a candle for Mark. Mark and I were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and healing energy from all of you around the world. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, we love you all.

Zayle and Lori Rudiger

We first came across Rudiger in the unlikely location of Plymouth prior to the start of the 1988 C-STAR (OSTAR) in which he solo sailed a 35ft Newick trimaran called Ocean Surfer. However Rudiger was much better known for his navigational duties on some of the top fully crewed campaigns, most noticably coming to the limelight as navigator on Paul Cayard's Volvo Ocean Race winner EF Language campaign in 1997-98. From then he was much sought-after for the round the world race, rejoining Atlant for their Assa Abloy campaign, coming second in 1997-8 and was on board Ericsson for the latter stage of the last race on board Ericsson.

In addition to this Rudiger sailed 14 Transpacs, including five 'Barn Door'
first-to-finish races, line honours in two Rolex Sydney Hobarts and last
year he was first to finish on the inaugural Daimler-Chrysler Transatlantic
race. He also has sailed regularly on various ocean racers, including
Sayonara, Pegasus and Genuine Risk. This year he was supposed to have been navigator on board Jim Swartz's Moneypenny.