Dear readers,
It was a tough week for fans of the Hamburg-based Imoca skipper. In the YACHT interview before the start, he had let it be known that he sees the Route du Rhum more as a transfer and reliability race for the new "Malizia - Seaexplorer" than as a race. But like this?
Right from the start, Boris Herrmann was one of the few to cross the line off Saint-Malo under-rigged, with a reefed main and small jib. As announced, he approached the solo transit with caution and control, although the conditions were by no means stormy.
When rounding the north-west coast of Brittany, he did not utilise the current effects far below land like Charlie Dalin and other Imoca skippers. He made his turn to the south, past the Ile de Ouessant, later than the leaders. Nevertheless, he remained within striking distance.
Would it attack in open water with the arrival of the first heavy weather front? Would he play the trump card of his VPLP design, deliberately optimised for rough seas, as many observers hoped? Would he also use the regatta as a real test for the conditions that the team had always lacked during the trials in late summer?
Nothing of the sort.
Boris, to whom sailing and songwriter Frank Schönfeldt dedicated the song "Flieg, Boris, fliiieg!" at the Vendée finish a year and a half ago, didn't let his boat off the line - and left the sailors at home puzzling at their PCs.
His deficit grew with each passing day. And then he, who usually has such a good eye for weather and course selection, made a tactical error that kept him stuck in a weak wind zone for 30 hours. You could hardly look at it any more.
At midday on Friday, nine days after the start, the deep-sea professional was almost 740 nautical miles behind Thomas Ruyant and Charlie Dalin in 24th place, while Yoann Richomme, whose new Imoca foiler is still under construction, was around 100 miles ahead of him - on a Class 40!
Four years ago, when Boris made his debut in the Imoca class and at the Route du Rhum, he was briefly in the lead with an older boat. In the end, he finished a strong fifth. Now he can't even hope for 10th place before Guadeloupe, even under the most favourable conditions.
It hurts to witness this. Because the skipper and the ship have far greater potential. But why doesn't Boris deliver this performance? Others, such as Paul Meilhat or Maxim Sorel, also with new, barely tested boats and smaller budgets, demand much more of themselves and their boats, take far greater risks - and will have gained far more valuable insights after this regatta, provided everything goes well.
I'm afraid it's discomfort, fear, the constant worry about not breaking anything that's holding Boris back.
His "Malizia - Seaexplorer" is an SUV at sea. It can take a beating. But the ship is packed with sensors and alarms whose shrill tones constantly signal a state of emergency. It must be a horror to be permanently exposed to this alone, let alone sail a regatta with it.
The trauma of the collision with the freighter on the eve of his arrival at the Vendée may not have been fully processed yet either. After all, Boris hardly slept for days in the English Channel and Bay of Biscay, which is unusual for him, as he said himself.
It seemed as if he had lost interest in his sport, his vocation, at least in solo sailing.
Many regatta sailors, even highly decorated ones, are cheering him on at home these days, suffering with him - also because he doesn't pretend, because he talks openly about his problems and hardships in his videos. He will hardly register the collective astonishment in his space capsule on the Atlantic. Will his team confront him? Hard to say. He would hope so. After all, he is not doing this for himself, but for the public.
Missing a move, losing your bite - it can happen to anyone. The sport thrives on it. Professionals often reach their zenith after being on the ground. But hardly anywhere does such an impact unfold in reality in such slow motion, as mercilessly as on this Route du Rhum, where Boris has irretrievably lost all contact with the top.
If he needed a wake-up call to remind him of the meaning of the slogan on his mainsail, then it was clear. "A Race we must win" is written in large letters. At the moment, it would be more appropriate to read: "A Race we must want to win".
Jochen Rieker,Editor-in-Chief YACHT
The week in pictures:
Recommended reading from the editorial team:
ROUTE DU RHUM
"Linked Out" takes the lead, Joyon finishes fourth
It's getting exciting once again: Charlie Dalin's dominance of the Imocas is shaky and he relinquishes the lead for the first time. Boris Herrmann finally catches wind
More about the Route du Rhum:
MIRABAUD PHOTO COMPETITION
The 20 best sailing pictures of the year
The jury of the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Awards has published the list of the 20 best sailing images of the year. German photographers have also made it onto the select list
BEIBOOT-GUIDE
9 tips for better dinghy handling
Anchor fans are not the only ones who rely on a tender. With the right tricks, handling is easier and more comfortable. 9 dinghy tips for your next trip
ROUTE DU RHUM
Amedeo after the rescue: "Death didn't want me today"
Imoca skipper Fabrice Amedeo has been through hell: after an explosion and fire on board his "Nexans - Art & Fênetres", he had to transfer to the life raft. A few hours later, he was luckily rescued. His yacht sank
EQUIPMENT
Torqeedo registers "extreme demand" for electric motors for boats
Torqeedo presented its new company headquarters in Oberpfaffenhofen, south-west of Munich, to the public for the first time last week. The world market leader for electric drives wants to use it to meet the sharp rise in demand and become more efficient at the same time. Interior views of a manufacturer that is fully focussed on innovation and employs twice as many development engineers as production technicians
X-YACHTS
Surprise from Denmark - new Xc 47 with semi-deck saloon
"Probably the best cruising boat we have ever built." That's what the CEO of X-Yachts, Kræn Brinck Nielsen, said at the launch of the new Xc 47 - strong words for a boat that is likely to be just as strong, even if it has yet to be built. It should be ready in spring 2024
The top articles of the week:
70-FOOT SAILING YACHTS
Four entry-level superyachts around 20 metres
It doesn't have to be 40 metres. Half that length will do - the range of sailing yachts around 70 feet is larger than ever. Our sister magazine BOOTE EXCLUSIV presents four top models in this exciting entry-level superyacht class.
CATAMARAN CATANA OCEANCLASS
Maximum luxury for couples travelling the world
Anyone who moves the centre of their life to the water needs a lot of living space. Even more so if you also want to work from the boat office. The new Catana Oceanclass is specially built for two people and permanent living on board
ROUTE DU RHUM
One capsize, three mast breaks and Herrmann struggles
Black Saturday at the 12th Route du Rhum: On the fourth day of the Transat classic, an Imoca and two Class 40 yachts lost their masts. Thibault Voucher-Camus capsized with his trimaran and saved himself in the centre hull. Boris Herrmann fights for 13th place
POINTER 30
Versatile performance cruiser in a compact format
She was shown to the public for the first time at the Interboot trade fair in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, albeit still in the shell. Now the new flagship of the Pointer series from Jachtwerf Heeg is ready and sailing. The Dutch send the first photos
5.5 OLYMPIC BOAT
"Sünnschien" - the sun rises!
With the 5.5 "Sünnschien", master boat builder Uwe Baykowski rescued the most successful German Olympic boat in its class and turned it into a shining piece of jewellery in four years of work
ROUTE DU RHUM
Boris Herrmann comes within a hair's breadth of breaking the mast!
That was a close call: after one of the two forestays of "Malizia -Seaexplorer" suddenly came loose, the mast almost came down
