A shock moment for crews and tens of thousands of spectators at the start of the Ocean Race Europe in Kiel: Not even two minutes after the starting signal, there was a crash - The Swiss team Holcim-PRB with skipper Rosalin Kuiper (Netherlands) collided with the Allagrande Mapei Racing team under Ambrogio Beccaria. The Italian yacht drilled its deck seal into the hull of "Holcim-PRB". What remained was a vertical crack over one and a half metres long amidships in the port side of the boat.
On closer inspection, it quickly became clear that the leg was over for both boats. But for the "Holcim-PRB" team in particular, it was questionable whether they would be able to get back into the race. The damage to the hull appeared to be too severe. A race against time began, a race for a comeback!
Record repair at Knierim
Today, a good two months later, one thing is certain: yes, the "Holcim-PRB" team did it! They repaired the damage within a few days and had the boat ready to race again in time for the start of the second leg to Portsmouth, England.
The renowned Knierim shipyard from Kiel played a key role in this technical and logistical feat. The shipyard, which specialises in high-tech yacht construction and is located just a stone's throw from the Kiel-Holtenau lock, received the badly damaged "Holcim-PRB" on the evening of the collision.
Knierim Yachtbau GmbH in brief:
- The Foundation took place in Laboe in 1965
- Today, the company is in the second generation since then: Gunnar Knierim took over in 2000 and Steffen Müller joined the management team in 2002.
- Company premises comprise more than 20.000 Square metre
- In addition to the New building the shipyard offers classic Boat service, repairs, conversions, paintwork and Customised products also for the marine and megayacht industry.
- More info to Knierim there are here.
Repeated appearance in the Ocean Race
This is not the first time that the Knierim shipyard has been in the spotlight of the international sailing scene. The second-generation family business continues to shine with exceptional new builds, special projects and repairs.
Back in 2023, Knierim was instrumental in the rapid repair of the boat belonging to the European Team Guyot, which had lost its mast off the American coast. An international team repaired the damage in Kiel - and the boat was finally able to continue the race.
Knierim boss gives exclusive insights
So now the expertise of the Kiel shipyard was needed once again. Knierim Managing Director Steffen Müller has now reported on the days of the repair as part of a series of lectures. The Nautical Association of Kiel, maritime interest group and networking platform for the city's shipping and harbour industry, had invited guests to this exclusive insight into the shipyard's work. More than 70 people came to the premises of the Kiel Sailing Association.
YACHT spoke to Knierim boss Steffen Müller shortly after the presentation:
Mr Müller, what significance did the incident have for Knierim?
The task was incredibly exciting for us. We really wanted to get it right. It wasn't about marketing for the shipyard. Rather, it was a challenge for us as regatta sailors and shipyard operators. We took on this challenge and ultimately mastered it.
What feedback have you received?
The response was consistently positive. We received congratulations from the boat's designer, the Holcim team and other Ocean Race teams. It was crucial for the event as a whole that as many boats as possible were able to take part. If "Holcim-PRB" and "Mapei" had been cancelled, the race would clearly have lost some of its appeal. However, the excitement was maintained - and it's a bit like Formula 1: there, too, spectacular incidents attract additional attention.
What has this repair changed for the shipyard?
We had already carried out this type of repair before - perhaps not to this extent and not with such high standards of composite work, but it was nothing new for us. It didn't change our order situation either. Perhaps we were noticed more for a moment - but experience has shown that this also quickly subsides.
The boat was at your quay on Sunday evening, and on Thursday evening it set off for Portsmouth. What happened in the meantime?
To begin with, the damage was carefully assessed in order to develop the best repair concept together with the boat's designer and structural engineer. We then produced the necessary moulds based on the CAD data provided by the designer.
The new component was then manufactured. At the same time, we prepared the fuselage and adjusted the bulkheads behind the damaged section accordingly. In the next step, the component was fitted, glued in place and reconnected to all the other components. Filling, priming and painting were the finishing touches.
The repairs in fast-forward:
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What were the difficulties?
The biggest challenge was definitely the time pressure. Added to this was the certainty that if we made a mistake, the consequences would be final. That put us under a lot of pressure.
