Globe40: La Réunion calls eight teams with Burke, Fink and "Wonder Woman"
Tatjana Pokorny
· 30.09.2025
The second leg of the Globe40 double-handed circumnavigation is more than 7,000 nautical miles long. It begins on 2 October and takes the eight crews from Mindelo in the Indian Ocean to La Réunion. Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink are not the only ones venturing into new territory. The new queen of the Ocean Race Europe is now also in the high-calibre game.
The prologue from Lorient to Cádiz and the first leg from Cádiz to Mindelo have already provided an initial picture of the performance and mood of the second edition of the Globe40 circumnavigation. Now the first big test over a month is coming up. On 2 October, the starting signal will be given for the second leg from Mindelo to La Réunion in the Indian Ocean.
Globe40: Burke and Fink ahead of longest race
Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink are also conquering new territories in their young careers in the upcoming leg. The only German crew in the Globe40 has been preparing intensively for the stage in recent weeks at the stage stop on the Kaverden. "We want to fight at the front again," announced Melwin Fink two days before the starting signal on Thursday at 2 p.m. local time in Mindelo (5 p.m. German time).
The Next Generation Boating Around the World team has never competed in a stage or race of this length. It goes from Cape Verde down the North Atlantic, across the equator into the South Atlantic. The passage of the Cape of Good Hope is followed by a plunge into the Indian Ocean, where La Réunion lies between Madagascar and the neighbouring island of Mauritius at around 21 degrees south latitude.
France's overseas department is part of the European Union, is known for its volcanic and rainforest-covered interior as well as its beaches and coral reefs and is also known by hikers as "France in the South Seas". The Globe40 organisers are also breaking new ground with the stage stop on La Réunion. They expect the race to take around 31 days and expect the fleet to arrive at the beginning of November. It is clear to everyone that the most varied wind and weather conditions over such a distance could lead to considerable deviations from the theoretical planning.
Flotsam as the greatest Globe40 hazard
This second leg will demand stamina, a lot of initiative and strong strategic decisions from the eight Globe 40 two-handed crews. "There are important decisions to be made. For example, how we navigate around the Cape of Good Hope, where we want to cross the equator...", said Lennart Burke two days before the start in Mindelo.
However, Lennart Burke, Melwin Fink and other Globe40 participants have the greatest respect not for the length of the leg, but for flotsam and the associated risk of collision. The aim for the second leg is "to be right at the front again and give the competition a run for their money," said 26-year-old Lennart Burke and his 23-year-old co-skipper Melwin Fink in a statement on Tuesday.
As always, we will give our all and gain incredibly important experience." Melwin Fink
After the prologue and stage one, the young German duo are in third place in the intermediate classification with four points behind the top favourites, the "Crédit Mutuel" skippers Ian Lipinski and Antoine Carpentier (1.5 points), who won both sections. Jonas Gercken's Belgian team (3.5 points) will start the race from second place.
Burke and Fink had initially fought for second place in the prologue, which was scored with a factor of 0.5, and then even held the lead for longer on stage one until they lost their spi and at the same time Lipinski/Carpentier overtook them with unerring strategic positioning. The Belgians also managed to do the same later on in the stage. Click here for the intermediate classification after the prologue and stage one.
A "Wonder Woman" for Ian Lipinski
The crews are now facing the restart of stage two. Amélie Grassi has also arrived in Mindelo for the ride into the Indian Ocean. Freshly crowned Queen of the Ocean Race Europe alongside Paul Meilhat and Team Biotherm, the Frenchwoman is now attacking the wave of success with Ian Lipinski in Globe40, replacing Antoine Carpentier on "Crédit Mutuel" as planned.
Amélie Grassi, who also wants to expand her Southern Ocean experience with the Globe40 mission on several legs, said: "I'm delighted to be taking part in this adventure. The aim is to familiarise myself with the team's working methods on land and at sea in order to serve the project in the best possible way."
On social media, the applause for Amélie Grassi and her power programme was overwhelming. One fan wrote "Wonder Woman!", another admirer noted: "What a programme! Congratulations on this energy and the permanent smile. Bravo, champion!". In addition to Amélie Grassi, three other women are active in Globe40.
Djemila Tassin had already competed in leg one alongside Jonas Gerckens. As skippers, Austrian Lisa Berger ("Wilson Around the World", 6th) and Melodie Schaffer ("Whiskey Jack", 7th) are sailing around the world with their sailing partners.
