You've probably experienced it too, perhaps after a rough trip, in bad weather, when nothing is going right. It can make you curse sailing. Some people have sworn off the sport forever in the middle of the Atlantic or in the Skagerrak - only to confess in blissful transfiguration, barely after mooring, over the third sip in the harbour pub, that it is probably the most beautiful, and definitely the most enriching thing there is.
Boris Herrmann, who was the first German to take part in the Vendée Globe almost exactly a year ago and achieved a phenomenal result with 5th place, felt the same immediately after crossing the finish line in Les Sables-d'Olonne. In the Southern Ocean, he had written a WhatsApp message to his friends and supporters asking them to stop him from doing it again if he ever wanted to. Well - that didn't work out! His new boat is currently being built in Lorient for the next participation in 2024...
So what is it that gets us sailing - and then usually keeps us sailing for the rest of our lives? What makes us endure storms, doldrums, fog, chilly nights and meagre comfort on board? Why, to quote a bon mot, can nothing stop us from tearing up 100-euro notes while standing under a cold shower?
YACHT editor Menso Heyl explores this question in his essay on "This curious feeling of happiness". With guest contributions and quotes from water people of very different backgrounds, it marks the start of the newYACHT 3 - order now from well-stocked newsagents or directly online ( please click here )!
