Dear readers,
"There is a magic in every beginning" - with this well-known verse from Hermann Hesse's "Steps", which I always like to quote, especially at the turn of the year, I welcome you as the new captain of YACHT. I am delighted to be keeping Europe's most important and historic water sports medium on course and developing it further together with a first-class and passionate team.
The YACHT has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. In a way, it is responsible for my passion for the sea, sailing and water sports in general. My father, now 79 years old, learnt to sail as a student at the Aasee in Münster and continued to develop his passion over the years. As for many sailors, this naturally included a subscription to YACHT. In those days, which were still exclusively analogue, where else could you acquire the condensed sailing knowledge about knots, seamanship and meteorology?
As a committed member of the Kurpfalz Sailing Association, my father regularly took the whole family to the club grounds, which are situated in a pretty and mostly windless Neckar bend, where I learnt how to handle the sheet and tiller at the age of six and, of course, in an Opti. I then switched to a 470, which I sailed a lot with my brother. Many capsizes and great memories included!
We sailed flotillas, chartered tall ships (preferably in Greek waters) and I took part in regatta and heavy weather training on the Baltic Sea with my father. My dad's passion passed on to me one hundred per cent, and I already knew at the age of 15 that I wanted to work with boats later on. Who, if not you, dear reader, could better understand this feeling.
I'll cut the years of the discovery phase short. After leaving school, a two-week internship at a boatbuilding company on the Baltic Sea quickly brought clarity. Spending days stripping teak decks in hall temperatures of around zero degrees in winter was not my thing, which is why I switched to studying shipbuilding. I wanted to design sailing yachts and wrote my dissertation on a speed forecasting programme, the calculations of which I compared with the results from the circulation tank at Kiel University of Applied Sciences. I worked with America's Cup models, at that time still monohulls.
Shortly after graduating - over 18 years ago - I ended up at the YACHT sister magazine by a lucky coincidence BOATS EXCLUSIVE and immersed myself in the world of superyachts, got to know all the designers I wanted to work for and sailed many of the most beautiful yachts in the world. Now the sailing journey continues and I am happy to return to my watersports roots.
I couldn't have wished for a better year to start YACHT. Just like the Vendée Globe race two years ago, The Ocean Race (TOR), which starts in a few days' time, has the potential to inspire people from all over the world. Thanks to a record number of German female sailors (thank you, Susann Beucke !) and sailors (Boris Herrmann, Robert Stanjek and Phillip Kasüske), the sailing nation of Germany will once again be eagerly cheering them on. We can only hope that the Imoca 60, which has been radically designed to the limit, will be able to cope with the constant pushing of the five crews. Personally, I am particularly looking forward to the longest leg in the almost 50-year history of the Ocean Race: 12,750 nautical miles non-stop from Cape Town to Itajaí in Brazil, along the three capes. This is where the Teaser video of the TOR The often quoted term "Mount Everest of sailing" is a justified home.
Like many of you, I will be keeping my fingers crossed for Boris Herrmann and his "Malizia -Seaexplorer" team. You can find all the background and information about the TOR in our big online special from Monday. And, of course, we will also keep you up to date on the action during the race.
With this in mind, enjoy reading YACHT and see you soon.
Martin Hager,Editor-in-Chief YACHT and BOOTE EXCLUSIV
The week in pictures:
Recommended reading from the editorial team:
TEST
Nordship 420 DS - year-round deck saloon yacht
![Middelfart, Denmark, 20.10.2022 YACHT test: NORDSHIP-42DS, deck saloon yacht from the Danish shipyard Nordship Yachts in Lunderskov. Interior of the yacht in high-quality craftsmanship. Sailing photos off Midelfart and in the Little Belt. Cockpit with very high coamings. Details on deck and rigging. (c) Klaus Andrews, Carlshöhe 21, D-24340 Eckernförde, Germany, Tel. Mobil +49 (0)171 - 413 31 20, www.KlausAndrews.com, mail@KlausAndrews.com, Account IBAN DE18 2105 0170 1003 4556 21 at FoerdeSparkasse, Kiel, BIC NOLADE21KIE, Any use only against payment, copyright notice and receipt. Please contact the photographer before using the photo. No modelrelease! ]](https://media.delius-klasing.de/dk-wassersport/images/dpr_auto,fl_progressive,f_auto,c_fill,g_face:auto,w_768/q_auto:eco/yacht/Nordship42DSsegelnDEN2022KAn_KA20221020_04554_bfccba0e2378a33a325023a171b2e5fb/middelfart-denmark-20-10-2022-yacht-test-nordship-42ds-deck-saloon-yacht-from-the-danish-shipyard-nordship-yachts-in-lunderskov-interior-of-the-yacht-in-high-quality-craftsmanship-sailing-photos-off-midelfart-and-in-the-little-belt-cockpit-with-very-high-coamings-details-on-deck-and-rigging-c-klaus-andrews-carlshoehe-21-d-24340-eckernfoerde-germany-tel-mobil-49-0-171-413-31-20-www-klausandrews-com-mail-klausandrews-com-account-iban-de18-2105-0170-1003-4556-21-at-foerdesparkasse-kiel-bic-nolade21kie-any-use-only-against-payment-copyright-notice-and-receipt-please-contact-the-photographer-before-using-the-photo-no-modelrelease-)
Living comfortably, sailing well, weathering the cold and wind with a good view below deck: are modern deck saloon yachts the better cruising boats? The new Nordship 420 DS is here to prove it
THE OCEAN RACE
New foils for "Malizia - Seaexplorer" after damage
Boris Herrmann's team has a surprise in store: The foils are so badly damaged that they had to be completely replaced
More about The Ocean Race:
PREMIERS
The most important innovations at boot 2023 - Part 1
Finally boot again! From 21 January, there will be plenty of premieres and innovations to see in all classes. We show you which boats the shipyards in Düsseldorf have in store! The first part covers everything from A for A-Yachts to H for Hallberg-Rassy!
ROYAL ENDING
Harald V of Norway cancels his sails
At the age of 85, the Norwegian King Harald has given up his sailing career. For many decades, the monarch successfully took part in international regattas right into old age
ROYAL HUISMAN
"Wing 100" - Superyacht with wing masts
Royal Huisman's 100-metre "Wing 100" project aims to establish high-speed sailing in the giant segment. To this end, Dykstra has developed 73 metre long wing masts that promise easy handling
PROGNOSIS 2023
Are the fat years in sailing over?
Despite difficult economic times, the boating industry is currently doing well. But for how much longer? And who will be hit first when the recession fully sets in? An outlook
GRAND SOLEIL 40
New performance cruiser from Italy put to the test
Cantiere del Pardo in Italy has built a beautiful and straightforward performance cruiser for the popular twelve-metre class. The Grand Soleil 40 sails strongly and also offers a lot for touring
EAST SEA TIPS
The 10 most beautiful city harbours - worth an overnight stay here
The Baltic Sea is home to both world-class metropolises and a number of smaller towns with great flair that are well worth a visit. Visiting the city harbours with your own yacht is a great experience. We reveal which city marinas are particularly worthwhile
USED BOAT PURCHASE SPECIAL
The key to success - how to do it right!
Buying a second-hand boat can be a favourable introduction to sailing. If you prepare well, you can avoid trouble and disappointment. What should you look out for? Tips on choosing a boat and handling the purchase
