New record for an old Imoca with Berlin co-skipper: On "Rosalba" from Bermuda to Plymouth in twelve days
British skipper Richard Tolkien, his German co-skipper Frank Sturm, Tolkien's partner and journalist Bronwen Maddox and Dave Herrod have set a new monohull record for the route from Bermuda to Plymouth on the 20-year-old Imoca "Rosalba". This has now been announced by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSR). The crew, which started the race against the clock on 24 April, took 12 days, 3 hours, 12 minutes and 9 seconds to complete the 2,870 nautical mile course. In the process, "Rosalba" achieved a theoretical average speed of 9.86 knots. The average for the 3,200 nautical miles actually completed was over eleven knots. The pioneering performance on this course, which was beaten by more than a day, was established by the Swede Mikael Ryking and the Russian mini-sailor Irena Cracheva in June 2017 with 13 days, 5 hours, 19 minutes and 38 seconds on the 20-foot smaller Pogo 40S2 "Talanta".
Frank Sturm has known 63-year-old skipper Richard Tolkien for around two years and admires his successful refit for the two-decade-old Imoca. They have now competed in several regattas together, including the Rolex Fastnet Race last summer. Frank Sturm's Imoca baptism of fire was also a stormy affair at the start, with winds of up to 35 knots. The 59-year-old Berliner, who originally comes from Kornwestheim near Stuttgart but has lived in the capital since 1993 and is a committed member of the Cöpenick Sailing Club, is an integral part of the crew. His surname often accompanies the passionate sea sailor on the water. "So naturally I'm not afraid of storms," says Frank Sturm and smiles, "but I do have respect."
Since the happy ending of the "Rosalba" record journey, "We did it!" (We did it!) has been the new battle cry on board. "It's unbelievable," cheered Sturm, "all the work has paid off." Observed by WSSR controller Michael Ellison, the new record has now been officially added to the lists of international record holders. Shortly before the "Rosalba" crew crossed the finish line, things got exciting again when a huge ferry suddenly blocked the course. In the end, they managed to pass with a gap of 200 metres and the aged boat crossed the finish line under code zero.
For Richard Tolkien, who bought the Imoca around five years ago and restored her to good condition, the fast ride from Bermuda to Plymouth is a more than conciliatory farewell before the upcoming sale of the boat. Tolkien had originally wanted to take part in the Barcelona World Race and a solo circumnavigation. The races were cancelled, leaving behind a disappointed skipper who nevertheless did not give up his dream of Formula 1 sailing on the Imoca. A chance encounter with Frank Sturm in the Azores led to a British-German friendship that took the boat and its crew halfway around the world. "I sailed around 13,000 nautical miles with Richard in a year and a half. Since I flew to the boat on 26 December 2021, I've only spent four weeks away from the 'Rosalba'," says Sturm, who has also worked a lot on the boat himself.
He will keep fond memories of the record-breaking journey: "It got off to a stormy start. We knew that we were in for a real battering for the first four or five days," says Frank Sturm. The crew of four proved themselves in winds of up to 47 knots. "Of course, that got us to the west quickly. The boat rattled all the time, the acoustics were impressive." The wave height, on the other hand, was moderate at around four metres, according to Sturm, even if "there was the odd one that smashed us across the boat".
As maintenance and material costs are high for Imoca, the boat is now to be sold. Talks to this effect have already begun. Nevertheless, the sailing friendship between Richard Tolkien and Frank Sturm will continue. "The focus is now shifting away from the Formula 1 boat towards a performance cruiser," says Sturm. The new boat will also be based in Hamble. From there, the crew wants to forge new regatta plans.
