Vendée Globe: Wow pictures from Sam Davies, Boris Herrmann almost at the finish line
It was probably the most frequently asked question among German fans on Wednesday: When will Boris Herrmann arrive? The answer to this was not easy to determine and changed several times throughout the day, as the "Malizia - Seaexplorer" skipper was only able to approach the finish line with a broken foil in the harsh Bay of Biscay conditions with the handbrake on. "I don't want to take any more risks," explained Herrmann himself. He was last expected to cross the finish line later on Wednesday evening.
No risk in the Vendée Globe final
In still heavy seas and average winds of around 35 to 40 knots, in gusts even into the high fifties, Boris Herrmann did not want to risk further damage to his broken foil by accelerating unnecessarily, perhaps loosening it from the tight line securing and possibly damaging the foil box or even the hull.
His twelfth place no longer seemed to be in danger. Samantha Davies, who followed him, also approached the finish line off Les Sables-d'Olonne only two or three knots faster. While Boris Herrmann still had just under 80 nautical miles ahead of him at 15.30, the British sailor, who lives in France, had dropped back even further compared to the morning and was around 95 nautical miles behind Team Malizia's skipper.
Davies lost some ground over the course of the day because she avoided the winds, which had become stronger again in the meantime, deep into the south-east of the Bay of Biscay, preferring to give a wide berth to the centre of the latest small but nasty low pressure system that came rushing in from the south-west. The "Initiatives - Cœur" skipper doesn't want to risk anything on her last few miles either.
Herrmann and Davies without danger from behind
She doesn't have to. Davies' closest rival was around 1050 nautical miles behind her in what was probably her last 24 hours at sea: her ex-husband Romain Attanasio, who drove Boris Herrmann's old "Malizia" as "Fortinet - Best Western" north of the Azores, is not expected to cross the finish line until days later. Boris Herrmann and Samantha Davies are able to finish their race carefully and as controlled as possible without pressure from behind in conditions that continue to be very demanding.
They may not be celebrating their placings there, but they will certainly be celebrating what they have achieved. In nine Vendée Globe editions, only 114 of the 200 skippers who started reached the finish line. The daredevils of this edition are still to come. Boris Herrmann and Sam Davies are two of them who have long since become glorious members of the small circle of those who have achieved the unimaginable for most people: sailing around the world solo and non-stop.
Boris Herrrmann can achieve this for the second time today. Just like his first success in fifth place four years ago, this would also be a historic German achievement that will have to wait a long time for a successor. The native of Oldenburg, who lives with his family in Hamburg, had wanted to fight for victory and the podium places before the start of his second solo around the world. The train left too early, with bad luck and unfortunate positioning in the first few weeks.
"I haven't lost my desire for the Vendée Globe." Boris Herrmann
From this perspective, it was a breathless race for Boris Herrmann, a never-ending race to catch up. Particularly in the final phase, he was severely tested by a never-ending series of breakages. It cost him a top ten place, although the Team Malizia founder was in a strong position just 20 nautical miles behind the fourth-placed sailor.
Boris Herrmann already said it during his second solo: "I haven't lost my appetite for the Vendée Globe due to the events of the last few weeks. I want to keep going!" Over the coming weeks and months, the 43-year-old, who will soon have sailed around the world six times, will think carefully about how he wants to prepare and organise a third attempt at the ultimate sailing challenge. However, many of the initial steps have already been taken.
Vendée Globe: around the world in 80 days
First, however, the current race must be brought to the finish in one piece, the balance sheets and the consequences drawn. On the afternoon of 29 January, everything indicated that Boris Herrmann's sailing time in this Vendée Globe would begin with the same headline as his premiere: Around the world in 80 days. True to the Vendée Globe motto based on the Jules Verne novel "Le tour du monde en 80 jours".
