Less wind, but still plenty of waves: this is the current scenario for the Globe40 start, which has been postponed to 4 September. Stormy wind forecasts at the weekend prompted the organisers to postpone the start, originally planned for 31 August, by four days. Now the signs are different. "The weather looks like it could be a light windy start to the race," said Melwin Fink.
Globe40: Engine problems solved, German duo ready to go
Together with his co-skipper Lennart Burke, Fink is expecting a potentially tough start, saying: "We'll probably have to fight our way to the Spanish coast in light winds and hope for downwind conditions, as it looks right now. But the conditions are still changing with every weather forecast. It's not that reliable yet." The postponement of the start was not entirely inconvenient for the German duo, even though Fink and Burke would have been ready to go on Sunday.
Melwin Fink said: "The postponement gave us some more time to relax. We had a few engine problems. They threw our technical preparation back a bit. But we had the boat ready to race on Saturday afternoon and could have started."
What was wrong with the engine? Lennart Burke explains: "There were lots of little problems! It felt like we had to rebuild every part of the engine block. There was quite a lot broken. Then the bolts that hold the engine were broken. The engine was only standing on one bolt again. Now the guys have replaced and readjusted everything. Now it won't shake for a while."
With crew in the prologue, as a duo more
The prospective circumnavigators must be able to rely on the engine when entering and leaving the Globe40 harbours during the prologue and a further six legs, as well as in any emergencies. "Then it's important for the power supply. Everything is now organised in good time," explains Lennart Burke. He added: "We have a fuel cell, a hydrogenerator and solar panels on the roof, but who knows what will happen."
The upcoming prologue to the Globe40 allows a special feature: the double-handed crews are allowed to take up to two additional sailors on board. Burke and Fink are taking advantage of this opportunity and will be joining the owner of their Class40, Joachim Wünning, and Sebastian Dziwisch for the first leg from Lorient to Cádiz, which is counted with a factor of 0.5. Both "guest sailors" are experienced Atlantic crossers.
The Next Generation Boating - Around the World team has been preparing for the start in Lorient's famous offshore cradle La Base for ten days. Have they perhaps learnt something about their competitors during these days that they didn't know before? Melwin Fink said: "At least we got to know everyone. We already knew our toughest rivals: Ian Lipinski and Jonas Gerckens."
Globe40: Class40 yachts required
But the other teams are also well prepared, according to the German challengers. Melwin Fink said: "None of them start on the beam, even if they have slightly older boats." The 23-year-old 2021 Mini-Transat bronze medallist explained: "That can be an advantage for us, but in bad conditions it can also be an advantage for the others, because the old Class 40s are even more stable than the new ones. The old boats cannot be dismissed in this race."
Boris Herrmann's fellow campaigner Cole Brauer has the world - as well as the Herrmann himself, who had inspired Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink on course for Globe40- has already sailed around the world on a Class40. At the stage stop of the Ocean Race Europe in Nice at the weekend, she said that the older Class40 models in particular are among the "most difficult boats to sail". She described her image with a smile: "Sailing these boats around the world is like learning Arabic. And I'm American, so I don't learn languages that quickly. Learning to sail Imocas is more like learning Spanish. The learning is doable, even if you have to stay focussed."
Lennart Burke said of Cole Brauer's assessment: "We can't really judge it yet because we've never been in areas where she's sailed. But I also don't think we'll get into the same conditions as Cole Brauer, who has been much further south than we will with our stops in Globe40."
The Globe40 is not a fastnet race
Burke's assessment of the challenge of the double-handed Globe40 round the world race: "The new boats sail more stably, but are of course also more susceptible to structural problems and problems with the material in general, because the higher speeds put significantly more strain on everything." The consequences of this are clear to the German Class40 sailors for their course around the world.
Melwin Fink says: "I think you have to be very attentive and always be mindful of the equipment. You can't sail the race the way we would sail a Fastnet race: by putting the pedal to the metal from the start and then licking your wounds afterwards. We just have to be able to hold out with the boats for 30 days..." Will the intensity of the forward momentum also depend on how the two top favourite teams around Ian Lipinski and Jonas Gerckens approach it?
"On the one hand, there is the idea," says Lennart Burke, "but on the other hand, there is also the idea that they will destroy their boat with such an action and we can sail past them quite comfortably. In any case, you can't lose sight of the bigger picture and the connection."
Around the world with Squid data
External assistance for the Globe40 sailors is regulated very similarly to the Vendée Globe. Lennart Burke explains: "We are allowed technical assistance. If something breaks down technically, we can call home and have it explained to us. But when it comes to weather and routing, no communication is allowed. We are allowed to download our weather files, but then we have to process everything ourselves on board and make decisions."
The Globe40 Team Germany downloads its weather data from Squid Sailing, as do the majority of the double-handed crews in Globe40. Melwin Fink knows: "There are various providers, but I think almost everyone uses Squid. For us, Squid offers the clearest range. You can also link it directly to the navigation programme. Basically, we can access all common and local weather providers that are freely available. They just have to be without comments."
Apart from the podium candidates, which also include Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink, are there any other boats with the potential for top placings in the Globe40? Lennart Burke says: "One boat I wouldn't dismiss out of hand is the Brazilian one. It's not the latest boat, but a generation before. I would also see it as being quite suitable for the race. It's exciting to see what they do. And there are also a few who have sailed the race before and perhaps know exactly what you need or perhaps don't need."
The top three are the wish
In general, according to Fink and Burke, none of the Globe40 teams can be ruled out of landing a coup or causing trouble in the sense of strong competition. "I wouldn't rule anyone out from being able to spring a surprise or cause trouble," said Melwin Fink. "Right now in the prologue from Lorient to Cádiz we will probably have conditions that don't necessarily penalise an old boat - especially in light wind and upwind sailing."
"The prologue will certainly create a small pecking order. Of course, you want to be as far ahead as possible." Melwin Fink
How important would it be to start the Globe40 with a top placing? Lennart Burke says: "It may only be a factor of 0.5 in the prologue, but in the end every point can be important. It's also probably very important mentally to get off to a good start." So in the top three? "Anything else would be a bit disappointing, I think," says Fink. "Top three would be nice," says Lennart Burke.
Strengths and weaknesses of the GER boat
On the plus side, the Hamburg-based sailors know that they have "very big advantages in downwind VMG racing". They are also good at reaching, "perhaps even very good". However, they pay for these advantages with losses in upwind performance. The German Class40 with the number 189 is as ready as its crew for the ride around the world.
Melwin Fink said on Thursday in Lorient: "I would say that our boat is excellently prepared. Also thanks to our guys who were here until Sunday. We had great support from Markus, Simon and Julius, our sailmaker. That was very important because we were about three days behind schedule due to the engine work. We were able to catch up on all that. So now we can get started." The starting signal for the Globe40 will be given on Thursday at 4 pm off Lorient. The boats already leave at 2 pm.
