Transat CIC: Boris Herrmann enjoys Transat success in New York - "The boat is fine!"

After crossing the finish line at night and celebrating second place in the Transat CIC, Boris Herrmann and his Transat competitors had a gruelling 110 nautical mile journey to New York. Herrmann reported early Tuesday morning that he felt like he was sailing up the Elbe alone.

The reward for these final exertions after a brilliantly completed Transat CIC was a reunion with Team Malizia's shore crew in New York. At last Boris Herrmann was able to share the responsibility for his boat with other hands and get some rest. This was followed by a reception in the Big Apple, where the three best Imocas and their skippers Yoann Richomme (France), Boris Herrmann (Hamburg) and Sam Dvies (Great Britain) moored at the pontoon of honour in the One 15° Brooklyn Marina in front of Manhattan's skyline.

Boris, congratulations on second place in the Transat CIC. What does this success mean for you on the Vendée Globe course?

It feels like another step on the way. The race was always intended as preparation, training and a test for the Vendée Globe. At the same time, this Transat was a bit more for me because I have a historical connection to it. Because I contested my first professional race here in 2008 with "Beluga Racer" in the Class40. And because I like the challenging North Atlantic.

Then as now, you were and still are able to celebrate a second place. The current success should above all give you a good feeling for your boat?

The boat is stable and reliable and gets through the sea very well. That's a good thing for the Vendée Globe. I also get on very well with the ergonomics and handling. I'm very happy with the boat.

The overall package has improved." Boris Herrmann

What were the keys to the success of this 15th edition of the Transat CIC?

I didn't have too many technical problems that slowed me down. On the other hand, the boat offered the opportunity to sail decently fast because it is really good in swell. That's why it was perhaps a bit easier for me to do this race. I wasn't too stressed. The overall package has improved. The autopilot has become more reliable, the sails better and also the weight distribution. And simply the knowledge of the boat and its settings. As we all know, the devil is in the detail, but the details are right.

But you also had a few problems...

My mainsail tore, that was my mistake. When you reef, water can accumulate. That's what happened. It was a pretty big tear in the leech. It took me half a day to repair the sail. In addition, a few screws and antennae came loose in the aft area. It took me time to find bigger screws and put them back on. Apart from that, it went well and the boat was well prepared.

And it has new foils...

I think the new foils are good and fast. I don't use them at maximum power all the time, most of the time only at 80 or 90 per cent. They certainly give me a bonus. But I also had cavitation issues with the new foils from just over 30 knots. I have to make sure I find the right settings. It's a bit tricky, but it's perhaps the price you pay for performance gains in the low-end range. I think the old foils are still good too. If something happened this year and I had to ride with the old foils, I wouldn't have an issue with it. With a lot of wind downwind, I'm even a little bit more familiar with the old foils.

I had many enjoyable moments at this regatta." Boris Herrmann

How are you feeling physically and mentally after the race?

Physically I feel pretty good and mentally very good. That surprises me, but I was really in a relaxed state most of the time. I had many pleasant moments during this regatta.

Is your team planning any major changes to the boat for the Vendée Globe?

No, none. The boat is fine. That's it!

Do you like the winning boat "Paprec Arkéa" by Yoann Richomme?

I think his boat is good overall. The balance seems to have been found well there, the longitudinal positions of the keel and foils. The bow shape is perhaps also a good concept. You have to understand again what will prevail in the end: Scow or motorboat bow. The motorboat bow might also cut through the waves quite nicely. Both now work well in swell. I'm glad that we have a lot more space inside. His boat is very small inside. Nevertheless, his less space is well utilised. The boat is very ergonomic and has great details.

Who or what surprised you positively or negatively in this race?

It was all a bit as expected - with the exception of Charlie Dalin, who was well in the lead and suddenly slowed down a bit and no longer showed this dominance. I think something must have happened on board. At least that's my assumption. We'll try to hear something about it, but often you don't hear much from the team. I'm sorry for everyone who had difficulties.

Overall, the fleet is very homogeneous, very strong and very impressive." Boris Herrmann

Like your Ocean Race competitor Paul Meilhat or Team Malizia's former navigator Nico Lunven?

Paul Meilhat really impressed me, at least in the first part, until he suffered foil damage after a collision. He could have won the race. Nico Lunven could have won the race if he hadn't broken his bowsprit. Really, the fleet as a whole is very homogeneous, very strong and very impressive. The same still applies to Justine Mettraux. She once had to serve a 70-minute penalty at a stupid moment because of her broken engine seal. We were almost side by side. I think that's when she started to slip back a little bit. Otherwise, she was actually on her way to the front. Justine can win races from my point of view. And then Sam Davies got her first podium finish in quite a while. She has a lot of confidence in her boat and now really seems to be there to win a Vendée Globe or finish on the podium.

Were there any other anomalies in the fleet?

I would hope that Yannick Bestaven can still manage his boat well. Rumour has it that his boat and Maxime Sorel's identical boat stick their noses pretty deep into the water on downwind courses and are not so easy to handle. Incidentally, these are more or less sister boats to 11th Hour Racing...

On 29 May, the New York - Vendée will be the second tough solo race in a row. What will it bring you?

The next step towards the Vendée Globe, in whose light everything stands. Another confrontation with a different mix and with participants who were not there now, such as Thomas Ruyant and Sam Goodchild. And of course with participants who are highly unlikely to drop out again after repairs. Like Paul Meilhat and Nico Lunven. These are all strong candidates who are right at the front. We want to see if we can keep up again. And we would like to collect more points for motivation and self-confidence, as well as details for the summer refit. These rides are always tests for all systems. It is still important to validate them. The hydrogen generators, for example: up to what speed can they produce electricity and not tear off the rear and things like that.

Click here for the live tracker, results and interim results.

To the live broadcast of the arrival of the top three Imocas in New York: