Professional career, part two: New Pogo 40s4 for Lennart Burke: "I'm still young and have a lot to learn"

For Lennart Burke, it's the hoped-for leap from the mini scene to the Class40: the Stralsund native is getting a new Pogo 40s4! The boat is being built by Pogo Structures in Finistère, France. It should be ready in October. The client is Burke's sponsor Dr Joachim Wünning, who is inspiring the 23-year-old newcomer from Hamburg in his second major career chapter, buying the boat and providing Burke with 100 per cent ownership for a fair charter fee. The entrepreneur from southern Germany, who has been sailing a Pogo himself for years, has been watching Burke's determined path to the professional league since 2020. He says: "I'm an enthusiastic offshore sailor myself and follow the scene closely. Lennart's outstanding qualities, his authentic nature and his determined approach to the Minit Transat campaign fascinated me and piqued my interest. The motivation to support a young sailor with big ambitions was made even stronger by the hype surrounding the Vendée Globe. We are all the more delighted to have found a young, ambitious and talented up-and-coming sailor in Lennart."

"This is huge for me!"

"This is huge for me," says Burke happily. But he knows: "Of course, I need and want to attract more sponsors to be able to pay the charter fee and other project costs." The sailor from Stralsund is working on this with his trusted team. "I have Bootspunkt on board again with Dirk Weißenborn as my first partner. I'm really pleased about that because it was also the first partner of my mini-campaign. Bootspunkt made it possible for me to get off to a professional start. They've believed in me since day one."

Dirk Weißenborn explains why: "We supported Lennart right from the start because he seemed organised and goal-oriented to me - and very likeable, of course. It was an easy decision for us to support him in his new project even after the mini-transat. We found it remarkable that during the regatta and afterwards, he assessed and commented on the sometimes hectic and controversial events in a very calm, balanced and differentiated manner. When making his own decision during the race, he not only took his personal result into account, but also the cohesion of the Mini class as a whole. I think that he also proved here that he pursues his goals in the long term and that personal values can sometimes be more important than short-term results. This is in line with our fundamental philosophy and was also an important aspect during our wild times. We are very much looking forward to the new project and our continued collaboration."

Boatbuilding has long since started at Pogo Structures in Combrit, around 80 kilometres from the offshore cradle of Lorient. Burke made the decision in favour of the renowned shipyard last year, but had to wait a long time for the green light. "I gave it a lot of thought with Joachim. We expressed our interest to Pogo back in May 2021. Shipyard boss Christian Bouroullec wanted to get to know me and we met before the mini-transat launch. The shipyard is booming, everyone wants new boats. Five people had applied for our construction slot. In the end, there were two left. The other had applied even earlier than us, but couldn't secure the financing. In the end, we got the building slot. I received the news between the two Mini-Transat stages - that was great motivation!"

"There are no quick fixes at Pogo"

Why Pogo Structures? Burke thinks highly of the renowned French racer manufacturer: "I have sailed a Pogo 3 myself, know the people, have visited the shipyard many times and know how they work. The shipyard is serious and trustworthy, and goes to enormous lengths to ensure quality. That's why Pogo has such full order books. They still take time for everyone, and the boats only leave the mould when they really need to. There are no quick fixes. That's why we decided to skip the Route du Rhum this year. I think it's great to have a boatyard like this. Others build in the garage or at some shipyard that has to get the parts from everywhere. At Pogo, everything is in one place."

By choosing designer Guillaume Verdier, Burke is fulfilling his heart's desire: "I've always found his designs exciting. There are many interesting French designers, but his work inspires me. I have always held him in high esteem. You could also see it in the Transat Jacques Vabre: Both Pogos only had two weeks of training time, but both sailed into the top ten. Guillaume Verdier has an incredible amount of experience, an impressive network and knows all the major professional sailors. And I think the Pogo 40s4 is the most beautiful new Class40 there is. It can only be good."

The decisions for the new yacht's equipment have also largely been made. Lennart Burke doesn't want to reveal all of them yet, but he does want to reveal some. For example, he has opted for five winches instead of four, "because it makes the manoeuvres go better". According to Burke, the fact that some competitors are still planning to use four winches has to do with their habits: "They have sailed boats with four winches before, are used to it in their routines and don't want to change. I don't have this background and therefore decided in favour of five."

Five-year plan with extension option

Burke is still looking for a home port for his boat, as ideal harbours such as Lorient are fully booked due to the current construction boom. "I've given it a lot of thought. The fact is that everyone wants everything right now. Everyone wants a new Imoca or a new Class40, everyone wants a berth." Lennart Burke will tackle this and many other issues with the patience and calm that characterise him at his age. "We are initially planning for five years: the current one-year construction phase and then four years of sailing. I'm still young, I have a lot to learn and a lot of time. I see the Class40 as the perfect class in which I can continue to grow and ideally surpass myself. I want to gain more experience. The Mini was the stepping stone in the direction I want to go." Burke deliberately does not define the Vendée Globe 2028 as a fixed goal. "It's conceivable, but it would be a bit of a rush job and perhaps possible with a used Imoca. But I can also imagine extending the Class40 commitment." He agrees that the Vendée Globe is the ultimate goal: "Of course it's the dream. That's where you want to end up. For whom isn't it a dream to be one of the greats?"

Boris Herrmann is the trailblazer

Boris Herrmann's role as a role model has helped Lennart Burke more than a little. "Boris paved the way and made it easier for us," says Burke, who is a completely different type of person to Herrmann, but whose course nevertheless has some parallels. Boris Herrmann also had a strong entrepreneur from the south in Gerhard Senft, who provided the Vendée Globe fifth-placed driver with a boat when he entered the Imoca premier class a few years ago. Herrmann has also taken his first summit assault step by step. The second is to follow in 2024. "As young sailors, we are very grateful to Boris for what he has already achieved. But I'm not going to run to sponsors and tell them: I can do what Boris can do. I'm already trying to do my own thing."

What is this "own thing"? "I try to come across well with my personality, to be authentic and a good ambassador. It's important for me and our entire team to signal to companies that we have a very attractive project and that sailing is a wonderful platform on which many things are possible. We want to create added value and do good."

The new Class40 owner, the first partner and a small financial buffer from the mini-transat as well as professional commitments this season are carrying Burke and his loyal team through the current period of looking for sponsors. For example, Burke is involved in the ORC World Championship as a navigator, but will also be working a lot in the Mediterranean, including supporting another Class40 owner in double-handed regattas. Burke says modestly about his growing tasks and challenges: "I've become a bit better known through the Mini-Transat, and it's no secret that I've gained a lot of experience and can sail a bit."