Dear readers,
What moved me the most last week? There were two comments, one on Facebook, the other in the sauna. Last night I was once again sitting on the second step at 90 degrees in the company of other sailors, the sweat beading on my skin, the sand in my watch seemed to have blocked the narrow part of the glass. In this situation, starting a small talk with fellow sufferers has proven to be a good distraction from one's own suffering. And so I ventured the following introduction: "So, what did you think of the World Cup?"
I was expecting a shitstorm from a sauna full of national coaches against the German national team. Instead, I heard back indignantly: "You watched that?" I thought I could feel the other naked people moving away from me. "Why not?" I replied. Wow, I'd done something. The reactions came back at me hot as an infusion: Human rights, women's rights, labour rights, climate protection, etc. How could I switch on and support the conditions in this emirate? Is that what I'm doing? I tried to start a factual discussion, to ask what we could still look at under these conditions, whether the same people who are now outraged would no longer use gas for heating from 2026, as a certain proportion would come from Qatar from then on, where would not only the raw materials for everyday items come from, if not the entire appliance? My sweat production seemed to turn into rivulets.
Of course you can reply that these are everyday necessities that you can't get any other way. I then had the audacity to briefly ask whether a sailing yacht was one of these things. After all, it doesn't exactly leave a small ecological footprint in terms of production and maintenance. Most people's hourglasses had suddenly run out or they somehow didn't last as long as usual this time. I had a lot more space in the sauna.
My point here is not to approve or disapprove of what is happening in Qatar or elsewhere, it is about something completely different. Which brings me to this week's second commentary. Every Saturday, our author Steffi von Wolff writes in the style of a gloss about her experiences as an on-board woman. If you don't know the gloss yet, find all previous ones here. Last Saturday, she wrote about how she experienced her best friend's visit on board. She assured me that it really happened, although it may have seemed contrived due to the bizarre nature of the events. But that's not the point here either. We are also posting this commentary on Facebook and are explicitly inviting people to join in the discussion and report on their own experiences ( here you get to the post on Facebook ). Which is also done quite diligently. Last Saturday, some networkers felt called upon to find Steffi's contribution altogether, well, stupid, stylistically, in terms of content and in general. That's their right, their opinion. However, one comment made me think. "Markus Senn" wrote: "Well, I'm having a great time and always look forward to the new episode. It's just a matter of taste." He received the following reply from "Volker Racho" (nomen est omen): "Intelligent humour and a feel for good style is not something everyone is born with. Mario Barth fills the halls, 'Bauer sucht Frau' also has an audience and people still read novels about doctors."
It is this kind of confrontation with other opinions that got me thinking, whether in the sauna or on social networks. It's nothing new that we are increasingly losing respect for others. That it is less and less about an argumentative debate and more and more about personal attacks. The fact that this development has now caught up with me twice, both in my private and professional life, has given me food for thought. What has it led to? It may sound simple: To pay even more attention to whether my arguments to others are factual or personal.
Lars Bolle,Editor-in-Chief Watersports Digital
The week in pictures:
Recommended reading from the editorial team:
THE OCEAN RACE
Freestyle only for the Imocas, short programme for the VO65 yachts
The most famous team race around the world starts on 15 January: The Ocean Race - formerly known as the Whitbread Round the World Race and the Volvo Ocean Race - takes its challengers across the world's oceans in seven stages for the 14th time since 1973. Not all of them, however, as was announced today after a long and tough struggle behind the scenes
More about The Ocean Race:
KAP HOORNIERS
Knox-Johnston - new president attacked by orcas
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was the first man to sail solo non-stop around the globe. Now the Briton has been elected as the prominent president of the International Association of Cape Horners. The fact that Knox-Johnston was attacked by orcas last week was not part of the plan
EAST SEA TIPS
10 places full of magic - hidden gems to fall in love with
Inconspicuous, off the beaten track or in the shadow of a crowd-puller, the Baltic Sea is full of magical places to moor and linger. 10 Baltic Sea tips that will awaken your spirit of discovery
CHRISTMAS PRESENTS
10 ideas for maritime gift motifs
Boat owners already have everything they need to be happy, namely a boat. But one or two gifts could still bring some extra joy. We have put together a few ideas. Today it's all about eye-catchers
More gift ideas:
GOLDEN GLOBE RACE
Time credit for the rescuers - why did "Asteria" sink?
After the rescue operation for Tapio Lehtinen, Kirsten Neuschäfer and Abhilash Tomy have now each received a time credit. They helped to find the stricken skipper in the Golden Globe Race on 19 November. Kirsten Neuschäfer managed the rescue with her Cape George 36 "Minnehaha"
INTERNET ON BOARD
Fast internet in every bay thanks to Starlink from Elon Musk
Anyone who works in the boat office needs a reliable broadband connection. But a new service also offers this to everyone else at a manageable cost. We have tried out Starlink
The top articles of the week:
SANTIANO SINGER
Björn Both and his love of the "Capella"
Björn Both, frontman of the cult band Santiano, sails the 6-KR yacht "Capella" - built in 1968/69 by Henningsen & Steckmest on the Schlei. We introduce ship and owner!
BALTIC-SUPERYACHT
"Perseverance" - Cutter of the modern era
Frugality. Straightforwardness. Down-to-earth. Not necessarily attributes of superyachts and their owners. Baltic's almost 40 metre long neo-classic "Perseverance" was ordered by a sailing-mad and consumption-conscious customer
ADVENTURE
Near-sinking in the South Seas - 100-year-old yacht rescued
Michael Sinzel is the owner of the "Pantagruel", which is over 100 years old. He wanted to sail around the world with her. But in 2020, disaster struck in Fiji
IMPRESSION 43
The new cruiser from Elan Yachts in front of the camera
Voluminous hull, attractive styling and quite different inside. With the Impression 43, Elan Yachts in Slovenia is launching a completely new edition of its cruising programme and presenting an exciting and strong competitor for an equally strong class. The YACHT test editors have already been on board
RESEARCH
Sensationally well-preserved shipwrecks discovered in the Baltic Sea
A Danish expedition has succeeded in locating and documenting three exceptionally well-preserved shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea. The wrecks, which are believed to be over 300 years old, lie practically intact on the seabed
ROUTE DU RHUM
The gripping stories of the backbenchers
The rock stars of the Ultims and Imocas have long since crossed the finish line. Time to take a look at the "normalos", some of whom have hair-raising stories in their luggage and arrived at the weekend
