Offshore sailor Andreas Baden has ambitious plans. The 36-year-old is working on his own campaign for the Vendée Globe 2028. The man from Kiel earns his money primarily as an electronics specialist for regatta boats. Born in the Rhineland, he has been active in the Imoca class for two years. He competed in the Transat Jacques Vabre and the Défi Azimut with Frenchman Fabrice Amedeo. At the current Vendée Globe, he strongly supported "Groupe Dubreuil" skipper Sébastien Simon in his leap onto the podium and was able to gain valuable experience.
Andreas, you want to organise a project for the Vendée Globe 2028?
Yes, I'm working on that. The campaign is under construction. I'll be 40 years old on 24 December 2028. The idea of perhaps reaching Cape Horn for Christmas is a good additional motivation.
You got into big-boat sailing in 2001 with the All4One sailing promotion project and later sailed on German boats such as "Moana", "Intermezzo" and the "Rafale". In the meantime, you have been able to gain intensive Imoca experience, but have not yet travelled solo ...
That's how it is. Although I can trim sails well, I see myself first and foremost as an almost perfect all-rounder who knows a bit about everything. I can repair everything on board and know a lot about navigation. Positioning the boat in relation to the weather systems and keeping it together is at least as important as trimming the sails.
The most difficult task on your Vendée Globe course for you as a newcomer to Imoca is probably finding sponsors ...
That is the big challenge. It will be difficult for less than around 2.5 million euros a year. Depending on whether you or your partners own the boat. The big racing teams operate with double that amount and more. I am already talking to potential partners and there is also interest in my concept. In addition to the great adventure and the emotionality that no other sport offers, I also want to address issues such as leadership culture, risk management and loneliness.
Are you confident enough to make the leap to your own project?
Boris Herrmann also had to spend a lot of time liaising before he made his breakthrough. I'm now well involved in the scene and have a good network, so I can bring a good team to the start tomorrow.
Would you postpone your plans to the next but one Vendée Globe 2032 if it doesn't work right away?
If I remain part of a technical team like I am now, I'll slip further into this scene and then perhaps never get out again. If I don't manage to have my own boat, at least a Figaro, by the end of 2025, it will be difficult to continue pursuing the dream.
How do you rate your chances of success?
You need a good budget. But it's not always possible for companies to measure whether it pays off. On the other hand, the Vendée Globe has a unique selling point like no other sport, its emotional adventure character, which many companies utilise for good reasons. I also want to bring the Ocean Race into play, which is now contested by Imocas. It is international and serves as an excellent opportunity to broaden experience, develop further and as a versatile platform for partners.
Has Boris Herrmann tilled the "field" well for subsequent challengers like you?
In principle, yes, because Boris brings a lot more attention to the sport. People know what the Vendée Globe is. The only thing that still needs to be done is to make this value available to people other than Boris and his team. That's not quite so easy in Germany.
