Globe40: Like Herrmann and Oehme - Burke and Fink before circumnavigating the globe

On the start day of the Global40, it will be 5915 days since Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme won the Portimão Global Race around the world. The duo, who are friends, achieved the historic first German victory in a two-handed race around the world. Their triumph was achieved on 21 June 2009.

The starting shot will be fired on 31 August

While Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia are currently 16 years later on leg three of the Ocean Race Europe and had fought their way up to third place on Wednesday morning, Herrmann's successors Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink are preparing to write a new German double-handed circumnavigation chapter. Boris Herrmann said: "I am convinced that Germany is ready for another Class 40 crew around the world." Click here for the large portrait of Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink before their circumnavigation.

I think these two are a real stroke of luck for fans. The story is so good: two refreshing and dynamic guys fighting for their dream." Boris Herrmann

Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme were 28 years old when they won the Portimão Global Race. Melwin Fink is now only 23 years old, Lennart Burke 26. The shipyard partners, friends and co-skippers are about to become the youngest German crew to circumnavigate the world in pairs. On 31 August, the first starting shot will be fired in Globe 40 off Lorient, where Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia racing team is also based.

The Globe40 prologue takes the Class40 fleet and their crews from France's offshore sailing cradle to the Andalusian harbour city of Cadiz. From there, they continue via Mindelo (Cape Verde) to La Réunion in the Indian Ocean. Stops in Sydney, Valparaiso in Chile and Recife in Brazil will follow before the final spurt back to Lorient. Until recently, highly ambitious teams had to give up their dream of circumnavigating the globe with the Globe40.

Eight teams and crew rotations at Globe40

Almost two and a half years after the Globe40 première, the second edition will start next Sunday with eight teams. The favourites from Team Crédit Mutuel are Ian Lipinski, Antoine Carpentier and perennial favourite Amélie Grassi, who is currently still driving the dominator "Biotherm" alongside Paul Meilhat in the Ocean Race Europe. Three sailors for a double-handed race? Three sailors! The trio will rotate, believing in fresh power on the course around the globe.

Ian Lipinski will first sail with Antoine Carpentier from the prologue to the end of the first leg in Mindelo, then attack with Amélie Grassi via La Réunion to Sydney. In Sydney, Lipinski will hand over his boat to the Carpentier/Grassi duo for the jump across the Pacific. Then it will be Lipinski and Carpentier again, who will pass Cape Horn together from Chile to Recife. It remains to be seen in which constellation this formidable and extremely experienced team will contest the final sprint to Lorient.

Under the motto "Belgium takes on the world", the highly rated Jonas Gerckens will also be competing in the Globe40 as a rotating crew with Renaud Daharen, Benoit Hantzberg and Djamila Tassin under the Belgium Ocean Racing team umbrella. Other crews, such as Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink from Team Next Generation Boating Around the World or the Austrian Lisa Berger (Wilson Around the World) with her co-skipper Jade Edwards-Leaney, will be racing the Globe40 in pairs.

Globe40: final preparations in Lorient

The final preparations for all the teams are already in full swing in Lorient. The safety briefing is scheduled for Friday and the last skipper's briefing before the start on Saturday. On Sunday, the departure parade will start from La Base at 11am. The starting signal will be given at 2 pm. 900 nautical miles lie ahead to Cadiz. The prologue is counted in the classification with a factor of 0.5. The challengers will be travelling for a total of around eight months until the Globe40 celebrates its finale at the end of April.

Strongly inspired by Boris Herrmann, who advised Lennart Burke in a phone call to sail around the world with two hands, Burke and Fink are now facing the biggest test of their careers. The team has been in Lorient since last Saturday. Work on the Class40 is just as intensive as the final preparations on land. Master boat builder Markus Mehlen is keeping an eye on things and making the final optimisations to the Class40.

It's incredible to be in Lorient after all the hard work and to be looking forward to the start on Sunday with all the competitors!" Lennart Burke

Well equipped with new sails, Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink are looking forward to their circumnavigation with confidence and full of energy. A maximum of eight sails may be used in the race around the world on the Class40. A small storm headsail is mandatory. The new sailing wardrobe gives her young German sailors, who only decided to embark on their biggest adventure shortly before the registration deadline, great optimism.

No comparison to before! The new sails are simply worlds better!" Melwin Fink

To get you in the mood for the upcoming double-handed circumnavigation - the clip on the course of the Globe40: