New podcast episode: Withdrawal from the Vegvisir Race – what happened on board?
Leonie Meyer
· 18.09.2026
It was set to be a great adventure. Fabian Boerger and Ole Puls had been working towards this moment for months: taking part in the Vegvisir Race. They wanted to line up at the start on Ole’s grandfather’s Eria 25. But the Schlei proved to be the end of the line for the two experienced sailors. On the crossing to Nyborg, Ole noticed that the bilge was full: there were more than 200 litres of water in it. What followed was a nerve-wracking search for the cause. To locate the leak, they headed for the nearest harbour.
Dealing with defeat
From the outside, the boat appeared to be completely watertight. No water seeped in once the bilge had been pumped dry, as Fabian and Ole describe in the episode. Yet nothing clearly explained the volume of water. It was only later that the cause of the mysterious leak was revealed. A detail that holds a lesson not only for Fabian and Ole, but for every sailor.
In our podcast, the pair talk about the moment of shock, the difficult decision to abort the attempt, and what it means to see half a year’s work come to nothing in the space of a few minutes. How do two friends and colleagues cope with such a setback? Does it bring them closer together or drive a wedge between them? The two sailors provide answers to these questions.
Unusual conditions at the Vegvisir Race
Gusts of up to 35 knots pushed even experienced sailors to their limits at this year’s Vegvisir Race. Of the 115 boats entered, only 40 eventually crossed the finish line. The solo sailors didn’t even attempt the long-distance leg. Even the course was shortened at short notice. This illustrates just how extraordinary the conditions were. YACHT editor Jochen Rieker, who sailed the race himself, told the two of them what was really going on out there.
Is there a Vegvisir Race 2.0?
The boat has been technically upgraded, their motivation remains undiminished, and the hook behind the Vegvisir hasn’t been set yet, as Fabian explains. In the 90th podcast episode, they speak to host Timm Kruse about specific improvements and explain what lessons they were able to learn from the incident. And what do superstition, seamanship and common sense have to do with one another? Fabian and Ole provide a clear answer to this question.
You can listen to the YACHT sailing podcast with Fabian Boerger and Ole Puls here
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Leonie Meyer
Editor News & Panorama
