At first it was mainly relief that Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink felt on 13 December, when they reached La Réunion with the mast upright. A few days later, this has now turned into absolute determination. 19 days after their technical stage knockout in the Indian Ocean, the return to the starting port of St. Paul on La Réunion, the initial investigations into the damage to the mast and discussions with the insurer, partners and organisers, Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink have announced their plans.
Globe40: between care and repair
Immediately after arriving on La Réunion, they had already started work on the mast. In the calm harbour, they were able to inspect the damage in detail for the first time. This confirmed that the spreader fitting (boomerang) was broken and the spreader had been pressed against the mast by the pressure of the topsail. Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink found it "particularly worrying" to realise "that the spreader had clearly shifted backwards and was no longer in its original position".
This displacement led to friction on the mast and also caused chipped paint. However, according to the crew's assessment, these are "only of a cosmetic nature as things stand". However, the team has not yet been able to clarify what the mast looks like on the inside. According to the team, the insurer shares the assessments made so far. The insurance company plans to arrange for an ultrasound examination of the entire mast and the spreaders during the repair in the new year. According to the team, this is to rule out possible consequential damage.
According to the Next Generation Boating Around the World team, there is currently "no insurance claim". The insurer wants to ensure that this remains the case by means of an expert opinion and the scan. The team will carry out the repairs in January together with a specialist from Germany in order to "regain full confidence in the rig as far as possible". This will be important, as the plans for getting back into the race have now been finalised. They correspond to the possibilities already outlined here on the crew's return journey to La RéunionThe repair requirements, course and race schedule permit.
New goal is the Globe40 final
Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink want to sail from La Réunion via Cape Town to Recife to contest the sixth and final leg of the Globe40 from Brazil. They will make a pit stop in Cape Town to replace the temporary Dyneema shrouds with the newly pressed D2 intermediate shrouds. This will not work on La Réunion because there is no rod press available there.
All attempts and ideas to make the comeback as early as the fifth leg from Valparaiso proved to be "unrealisable for safety, time and cost reasons". Passing Cape Horn against the main wind direction did not seem justifiable to the team. Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink also ruled out a passage through the Panama Canal. "The overall package is just perfect for Recife. We can give you another really nice regatta," said Lennart Burke, addressing the team fans on the decision.
"There is no giving up for us. Always keep going." Lennart Burke
Despite everything, the disappointment over the shattered dream of sailing around the world remains. But the new plans also provide new energy. Burke and Fink want to reclaim their pride. To do this, they are not only aiming to take part in the Globe40 final, but are also cautiously setting their sights on a comeback in the next edition.
Step on the gas at the shipyard, take off again
Melwin Fink painted an initial picture of the future and said: "We definitely want to do it again. But differently." After four years in service and a refit at Next Generation Boating, the Class40 could pass into new hands. "We have to and want to step on the gas in our company. But the focus remains on building a new campaign. As soon as we are ready to go and have partners, we would build a new boat."
In the current race, almost all the battles on stage three from Le Réunion to Sydney have now been decided. The last two teams - "Whiskey Jack" with Melodie Schaffer and Colin Campbell and "Jangada Racing" with Richard Palmer and Rupert Holmes arrived in Sydney on 19 December or are expected to do so shortly. Although the organisers have not yet updated the intermediate classification, the latest stage runners-up from Team Belgium Ocean Racing are likely to continue to lead the intermediate classification for the time being.
Top favourites Ian Lipinski and Amélie Grassi have reduced their gap to the Belgians to just two points with their third victory in four stages so far. They were beaten by the Belgians as well as Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink on the stage with the highest score of factor three and are now trying to turn the tide back in their favour.
The interim results in Globe40
They will probably be followed by "Barco Brasil", "Free Dom" and "Wilson Around the World" with Austrian skipper Lisa Berger and her co-skipper Jade Edwards-Leaney. Here it goes to the stage results and the tracker. Click here for the Globe40 interim results. However, the results of stage three, the fourth stage of the circumnavigation on Class40ies including the prologue, were still missing.
