Dear readers,
This week, I read the articles by my colleague Morten Strauch about microsailors and shook my head in horror. Whether sailing around the world on four metres or across the North Atlantic in the smallest boat ever: the gentlemen portrayed Quenet, Yrvind and Bedwell must be crazy. I don't wish them any harm, on the contrary. But seriously, why do people do this to themselves?
Bedwell in particular has fascinated and shocked me ever since I first heard about him. The 51-year-old Brit wants to set a world record. To do so, he plans to cross the Atlantic in the smallest "sailing boat" of all time. For me, the thought of crossing a sea that can push even well-equipped cruising yachts to their limits in a boat the size of an average bathtub causes both admiration and apprehension.
But that's not all. Bedwell is planning to do this for the second time after the first attempt failed miserably. I can hardly say it: as sorry as I felt for the sobbing Bedwell, I was almost a little happy for him at the time when his "Big C" was wrecked on the concrete of the harbour apron after turning back early. If I were him, I would probably have taken it as a warning and kept my hands off microsailers from then on. After all, the British adrenaline junkie is also a father.
But that hardly seems to bother the 51-year-old. He announced his comeback shortly afterwards. While I still couldn't believe it, he constructed "Big CV2". It is due to be launched again in May.
Even the legendary Sven Yrvind was not deterred by dramatic incidents. The 85-year-old inventor capsized over the bow off Cape Horn in 1974 and set a record of 5.90 metres from east to west six years later.
This perseverance seems to unite the daring adventurers. It takes a lot of know-how, improvisation and sheer inexhaustible determination to face these challenges.
On the one hand, the microsailing scene entices with the romance of purism - the reduction to the essentials. The antithesis to highly technical racing cars, such as those of the Vendée Globewhere state-of-the-art foils and autopilots are indispensable. With the Mikros, single-handed sailing once again becomes a battle against the raw forces of nature, your own mind and the desire for comfort.
The Globe 5.80-Transat, which the German Christian Sauer is starting today, is another adventure that is extremely challenging but financially affordable. A thoroughly positive development, at least in this respect. Nevertheless, the risks should not be underestimated here either.
Apart from the fact that I would feel extremely uncomfortable on 19-foot plywood on the Atlantic, the probability of an accident is undoubtedly much higher than on a cruising yacht. Is it worth it? And is it okay to accept the expected consequences?
Single-handed sailing in itself is repeatedly criticised, as the basic principle of seamanship - keeping a constant lookout - simply cannot be adhered to on trips lasting days, weeks or months. In addition, none of these adventurers have the technical early warning equipment available today, such as that installed on the Imoca of the Vendée Globe. However, the increased risk of collision is only one aspect. What happens if the limited supply due to lack of space is not enough, if someone is injured or falls ill? Bedwell, for example, can't even stretch out on his microboat. And what will nature do with these mini playballs?
If something happens, outside help is called in. Depending on the conditions, the soloists not only risk their own lives, but also those of the rescuers. These in turn consume massive amounts of resources during the search and rescue, which is another point at which we can ask what the point is today.
At the same time, I am immensely impressed by the sailing performance in the success of such endeavours. Perhaps it should even be rated higher than that of the Vendée Globe skippers, who are currently reaching an audience of millions. But the question of "why?" remains for me with both species, although it may be fairly easy to answer.
Why do people climb Mount Everest without oxygen, why do they dive to depths of over 200 metres without equipment, why have private individuals recently started flying into space? Answer: Because they can. Because they are looking for the thrill of what is possible. Because human beings are just like that, they always have to prove themselves and push aside all concerns and dangers.
Without the first controlled, sustained flight in a motorised aircraft by the Wright brothers in 1903, we would probably not be jetting around the world today. Without Ferdinand Magellan, who began the first circumnavigation of the globe in 1519, which was completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano in 1522, we would probably still believe that the earth is a disc. And without the invention of the internet, which at first nobody knew what it would lead to, you wouldn't even be reading this.
I'm actually one of those crazy people too. I sail a mothfly over the water. Extremely fast, technically demanding. Why? Because it works, because I can do it, because I keep reaching my physical and technical limits and pushing them further. Some tall ship or dinghy sailors like to call that insane.
First or best performances always require a portion of madness, which could also be described as courage. With this in mind, I have the greatest respect for the microsailors for their various endeavours.
Max Gasser
YACHT editor
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The week in pictures
Recommended reading from the editorial team
Vendée Globe
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First the damage to the foil, now the mainsail has torn
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Silting up of the Elbe
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Propulsion
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Interview
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Hurricanes 2026
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Blue-water yachts
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Record low water level in Lake Zurich
Sailing yacht flown by helicopter to its winter storage facility
Water levels in Lake Zurich are below the previous record low. Because his sailing yacht was stuck in the shallow water and in danger of capsizing, a 65-year-old owner had his boat airlifted out by helicopter. The operation cost around 2,000 francs and highlights just how much the exceptionally low water level is now affecting navigation.
Series of thefts continues
Thieves make off with two 300 PS outboard motors from Wieltsee
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Second-hand boat of the week
Arietta 31 – the dawn of an era
A narrow waist, mahogany hull and elegant overhangs: the Arietta 31, designed by Olle Enderlein, prioritises balanced lines and seaworthiness over maximum living space. As a forerunner of later Scandinavian cruising yachts, it is now an interesting classic for sailors seeking a traditional, compact cruising yacht.
Breehorn 55 review
Is it the ideal home at sea?
A pilothouse, teak fittings and an unusually accessible service tunnel: this is how the Breehorn 55 works below deck, and these compromises remain.
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