Class40: New boat name, new projects - Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink on a new start

For Class40 strikers Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink, this summer has been another happy one. At the beginning of July, they had wanted to take part in the Quebec Saint-Malo Transat classic with their Class40 "Sign for Com". The highlight of the year was cancelled shortly before the start in Canada because the replacement for the forestay, which was damaged during training, did not arrive in Quebec in time. This was a hard blow for the young sailors and their fellow competitors Simon Koster and Hendrik Witzmann. They suffered, but also promised: "We'll be back and will give it our all again soon."

• "The disappointment is huge" - Burke/Fink thwarted by broken forestay

First a refit, then a christening and a record attempt

Just one and a half months later, the refit in Kiel has now been followed by the resurrection of the Class40 in its new guise. At the Hohe Düne marina residence at Yachthafen 1 in Rostock on Thursday, the Next Generation Sailing team christened its Class40, known as "Sign For Com", with the new name "Task Engineering". The godmother was Karolina Szyrocka. The new boat colours are black, blue and a bright orange. The boat looks a little bolder than before. Its co-skippers are the same hard workers and optimistic drivers that they were in previous years during their mini-adventures, Class40 regattas and when they founded the company together.

The relaunch christening took place in the warm August sun in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Business partners, sponsors and sailing enthusiasts gathered for the Class40 relaunch. In addition to taking part in regattas, the team and sponsors want to combine their goals. For example, a delegation trip is planned with business partners from the new main sponsor and co-sponsor Open Sea Offshore as part of the WindEnergy Network. The ambitious sailors want to combine their commitment with a record attempt "Round Denmark", which they will report on live from on board.

Three regatta classics planned for 2025

"We want to try and break the Round Denmark record," announced Melwin Fink. Dutchman Bouwe Bekking, who lives in Denmark, completed the 882 nautical miles around Denmark with his team on the VO65 "Childhood II" in 72 hours, 24 minutes and 21 seconds in 2020. Melwin Fink explains: "The course leads from Esbjerg to Aarhus. From the North Sea around Skagen into the Baltic Sea, past Copenhagen, around Bornholm and then to Aarhus." Another "major refit is also planned for this year", as Melwin Fink announced.

Next year, the Class40 crew will be travelling to France again in January. Melwin Fink on the planned regatta programme for 2025: "We want to sail the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Normandy Channel Race and the Transat Jacques Vabre." Burke and Fink have been working with their new partner for months to develop a sustainable programme. The current six-month agreement is intended to mark the start of a long-term relationship.

Two young sailors, many challenges

At the same time, the regatta professionals are driving forward their Hamburg shipyard, which now employs ten people. With their company Next Generation, they take care of boat purchases and sales, rigging issues, refits and boat optimisations. They also advise people interested in regattas, such as several current Mini Transat candidates. Both Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink competed in the Mini-Transat themselves. At the ages of just 22 and 26, Melwin Fink and Lennart Burke have come a long way - under one team umbrella since the end of 2022 and as sailing and business partners. In future, the newly christened "Task Engineering" will carry them far and fast at sea.

• YACHT Podcast: With Melwin Fink and Lennart Burke on their Class40

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