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Jochen Rieker, Editor
The gift of Winfried Herrmann"
How YACHT went from being Germany's leading sailing magazine to Europe's most important - involuntarily
The relationship between shipyards and editorial teams is always a delicate one. They know each other, appreciate each other, pursue the same passion and occasionally go to sea together, even in heavy weather. That creates a bond. The impact can be all the harder when the harmony is challenged by reality.
This happened to us several times with Bavaria, and vice versa with the Giebelstadt boat builders and the "hacks from Hamburg", as Winfried Herrmann called us in less favourable days. The word "greasers" was also used occasionally.
Herrmann, who died in 2015 at the age of just 72, was, together with Willy Dehler and Michael Schmidt, unquestionably the most innovative and successful shipyard boss in Germany. Even in international comparison, not many can compete with him. As a kind of "Henry Ford of series yacht building", the former window manufacturer developed the most efficient production for seagoing vessels in the world. However, he was so obsessed with the pursuit of success and so shirt-sleeved in his entrepreneurial behaviour that he repeatedly overstepped boundaries. He liked to have his suppliers travel from far and wide just to tell them in broad Franconian that they could get straight back into the car or train after he had literally and formally torn up their offers. You probably have to be like that to become a market leader. Herrmann was certainly like that.
So it is not surprising that he knew no mercy. In order to ensure the success of his boats and to dupe the competition, he did not shy away from hijacking the Yacht of the Year award. In the nineties, this was designed as a readers' poll. Only those who filled in the official voting cards enclosed with YACHT could take part. Winfried Herrmann, a very resourceful businessman, had issues bought up on a large scale at newsagents in the Würzburg area and even made enquiries with wholesalers. He distributed the magazines to employees and retailers, who in turn asked their family members for help. The result: In every category in which a Bavaria was nominated, it received by far the most votes.
When we uncovered the scam in 2001 and publicised it, the shipyard boss imposed the first of two lengthy advertising boycotts (the second followed after critical reporting on defective keel constructions on Type 38 and 42 Match boats). In fact, however, Winfried Herrmann unintentionally gave us the greatest possible gift.
Because the readers' choice was disavowed, we had to find an alternative for the following year. And it turned out to be a winner in every respect: Europe's Yacht of the Year.
The award, described by many as the "Oscar of boatbuilding", moved the selection process from the living room to the water. Instead of readers, an expert jury from the twelve leading sailing magazines decided on nominations, places and wins. Instead of a national selection of the best, the yachting industry's most prestigious election worldwide was created. This initiative also turned YACHT itself, although it had always been important, into Europe's leading water sports medium.
