The course of the "Charisma" in the storm race from Heligoland to Edinburgh resembles a capital Z. All the other yachts, on the other hand, attempted the direct route - and only very few made it through. Only 4 out of 21 starters reached the finish in Scotland with this route choice.
"Charisma" skipper Claviez, however, virtually pulled a fast one and sailed through the approaching storm depression to get to the back of it. This extended the route from 350 to around 600 nautical miles, but unlike many of his competitors, Claviez still made it to the finish line. Afterwards, his choice of route was hotly debated in sailing circles everywhere - and highly praised throughout.
In the new YACHT, the 50-year-old reports that deviating from the direct route to Edinburgh was not a spontaneous idea, but a well-considered course of action. In an interview with YACHT, the Hamburg-based skipper explains how he came to this decision, what weather data he had to interpret and how he prepared his crew.
The interview is also about fundamental issues. It was an amateur race - should it have been allowed to start at all in view of the horrendous weather forecast? In terms of safety and seamanship, wouldn't it have been better to postpone the regatta? Claviez also has a clear and well-founded opinion on this.
