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Dear readers,

It's hard to believe, but it's happened again: Norbert Sedlacek Koch's fifth attempt to conquer all the oceans, including the Arctic Ocean and the Southern Ocean, as part of his "Ant Arctic Lab" project has failed. After less than a week!

• After 5 days at sea - Sedlacek breaks off again

I kept my fingers crossed for the likeable and lively Austrian that his boldly announced plan in the sailing world would finally work out - after a total start-up time of five years and four unsuccessful attempts. It was not to be. Instead of fame and publicity for his Imoca "Innovation Yachts" laminated from volcanic fibres, he reaped ridicule and malice. And rightly so?

What had happened?

According to the team, the reason for the early retirement is damage to the canting keel of the sustainably built racer. Sedlacek had previously sailed through a storm low off the Irish coast, but no further details are known to date. "Considering the length and the planned route of this record attempt non-stop and without outside help through both Arctic and Antarctic waters, the decision taken seems unavoidable," reads the official statement.

There is no doubt that a non-stop circumnavigation of the globe is no walk in the park and requires not only sailing skills, excellent equipment, perfect preparation and the will to torment and push yourself for around six months at a time, but first and foremost luck and stamina. Which the Austrian jack-of-all-trades seems to be lacking at the moment.

Norbert Sedlacek has proven many times that he can sail as a chef and put himself through great hardship on a boat for months on end. In 1998, after two years on tour, he completed his first circumnavigation with a self-built 26-foot boat based on a Swallow 26. The start and finish of the 26,000 nautical mile round trip was Grado in Italy.

This was followed two years later by a non-stop circumnavigation of Antarctica with "Icelimit", which took him 93 days and during which he travelled over 14,000 nautical miles on a 54-foot Garcia aluminium yacht.

For his next goal, participation in the legendary Vendée Globe single-handed regatta, he had to work harder and prove his stamina. His first attempt to conquer the "Mount Everest of the seas" failed after 6,800 nautical miles in 2005, but ambition and perseverance brought the former Viennese tram driver back to the starting line three years later and even to the finish line after 126 days at sea. Sedlacek finished last, but the race was tough. Only eleven of the 30 starters made it to the finish line.

So why is it that "Ant Arctic Lab" is not successful?

On his first attempt in 2018, he had to give up at the height of Ireland, as he did a week ago. The reason back then: technical problems.

One year later: A strong storm near Ireland, problems with the headsail, defective equipment and the loss of a sail lead to another cancellation.

In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic and health problems thwarted another attempt, which took place a year later and even took him to Iceland, where problems with the power supply on board forced him to give up.

Attempt number four - we know the story - is no happier. The Imoca, christened "Innovation Yachts", collided with an object in the water in nine-strong winds and rough seas, causing the rudder suspension to break and sealing the end of the record journey after just a few days.

And now it's the canting keel suspension. No sailor can have that much bad luck!

Extreme sailors attract extreme problems. The last The Ocean Race and every Vendée Globe race confirm it time and time again: where boats are pushed to the limits of what is technically possible, they break. Inevitably. The only difference is how the sailors deal with it.

The Malizia team led by Boris Herrmann has impressively shown how to deal with problems and unavoidable stressful times on board in a different way: with maximum authenticity, openness, honesty and usually even a smile on their faces. Always think positively, even in dark moments. In this way, the likeable group around Rosie, Will & Co. were not only able to strengthen themselves, but also share their feelings and fears with their ever-growing fan base.

This type of open and honest communication would suit Norbert Sedlacek Koch and his "Ant Arctic Lab" team very well. If the sailing world always knew what was currently happening on board the "Innovations Yachts", it might be able to understand the decision to abandon the extreme circumnavigation.

Perhaps there will be a happy ending for "Ant Arctic Lab" after all. If the damage to the canting keel is not serious, the record attempt could start again after a quick stop at the shipyard in Les Sables-d'Olonne. In any case, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it happens and the mission succeeds. Because there probably won't be a sixth attempt next year.

Martin Hager,

Editor-in-Chief YACHT

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