Interview: Jakob Lang wants to become the youngest German-speaking circumnavigator
Fabian Boerger
· 08.03.2025
The story of Jakob Lang, 19, actually begins at the end of September in Lelystad, Netherlands. Over the past three years, he has been overhauling the Dehler Optima 92 "Wolf" from 1976 together with his father Martin Lang. The pair regularly travelled from their home in Austria to the small town on the Markermeer with a camper van in tow. Until the GRP classic was ready to travel around the world. Jakob Lang finally cast off on 25 September.
Everything goes according to plan: he passes Amsterdam quickly, leaves the Channel Islands behind him, crosses the English Channel and circles the north-westernmost tip of France. But although this sounds like the perfect start to a long journey, Jakob Lang suffers a severe setback shortly afterwards and is forced to make a fresh start.
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Jakob Lang, what was going on?
I sailed between the island of Ouessant and the French mainland at night. This is just north of the Bay of Brest. There are quite a few fairway buoys in this narrow passage. I collided with an unlit buoy there. It was marked on the nautical chart, as it turned out afterwards. But the problem was that it was almost invisible to me.
An invisible bin? What do you mean?
I use the Navionics electronic nautical charts for navigation. In French waters, the charts in night mode have a strange yellow, finely shaded grid. The problem is that the notes are displayed in white. This certainly makes sense on a black background; on the yellow one they were barely recognisable. In other words, the bin was invisible to me on the plotter. I simply didn't see it.
What was going through your mind during the collision?
I hardly noticed the collision itself, although it must have been a violent impact. After all, I was travelling at 6.5 knots. The "Wolf" was briefly stuck in the buoy with the pulpit; the current turned the boat 180 degrees before it broke free. A short time later, it must have been around midnight, when I was sure that there was no longer any immediate danger, I inspected the damage. There was hardly anything left of the anchor roller on the bow and the pulpit was also badly damaged. About ten minutes later, after sitting in the cockpit cursing at myself, I looked through the companionway into the foredeck. Only then did I notice the water under the mattresses. The compartments in the forward cabin were also quickly filled with water.
How did that happen?
The collision also caused a crack about 20 to 30 centimetres long in the GRP, just below the waterline. To be honest, I'm surprised that nothing more happened at this speed. That shows the quality of the GRP classics. They were built really sturdily.
Stable, but not unsinkable. What happened next?
I then switched on the bilge pump and sent a mayday distress call to the French coastguard. They were there 20 minutes later, but the conditions were too bad for one of the rescuers to be able to help. We then headed towards Camaret-sur-Mer.
Conditions calmed down in the bay of Brest. The lifeguards were able to cross over and help me with the launching. Once we arrived in the harbour, we quickly went to the crane. A little later, it must have been around three o'clock, my boat was already ashore. Since then, it has been repaired by the local shipyard. In the meantime, I travelled back home.
That was a bitter setback right at the beginning. Looking back, how do you deal with it?
I realised that something could happen at any time. I never thought I would ever make an emergency call. But I learnt a lot: on the one hand, I won't sail so close to the coast at night again. It would have been avoidable if I had sailed round the outside of Ouessant. On the other hand, I now have radar on board, which allows me to see obstacles that are not on the nautical charts - or are unlit.
Now you are daring to make a new start. What does it look like?
Next, we'll be travelling directly from Camaret to the Canary Islands. That's about ten to twelve days. It's crucial that I find the right weather window for the crossing of the Bay of Biscay. After all, it's winter, so you don't really sail this passage because of the unstable weather. However, there are always windows that are suitable for sailing. You can also always see boats heading south via Marine Traffic.
From the Canary Islands, it's across the Atlantic. But instead of sailing towards the Panama Canal, you want to round South America and Cape Horn. Why this diversions?
On the one hand, it's the challenge. I mean, Cape Horn is Cape Horn. However, I don't want to sail around it, I want to sail the inshore route via Ushuaia. Secondly, South America simply appeals to me - especially Patagonia, Chile, Argentina and the Andes. I come from Austria and grew up skiing and mountaineering. The wild areas of Patagonia, the remote mountains, volcanoes and glaciers appeal to me much more than the crowded and expensive Caribbean.
Then it's back to the barefoot route?
Yes, exactly. I will take the classic route and sail as far as the Indian Ocean. Then I want to round the Cape of Good Hope instead of travelling back to Europe through the Suez Canal.
"Plastic is everywhere, floats everywhere and harms us humans. I want to draw attention to the problem."
On your website you give the trip the slogan: "Round the world against plastic". What is behind it?
I grew up in nature, be it in the mountains or by the sea in Croatia. Unfortunately, I have noticed that these places are becoming increasingly littered. Plastic in particular is a big problem, as it causes long-term damage - both in marine ecosystems and in alpine areas. It lies everywhere, floats everywhere and harms us humans. I want to draw attention to the problem. At the same time, I would like to organise occasional beach clean-ups along the way and then display the collected waste on a map, a waste map. This gives you an impression of where the problem is greatest.
There are now numerous such environmental projects. What is special about your project?
If I manage to circumnavigate the world, I would be the youngest German-speaking single-handed sailor to have done so. In addition, there are only a few environmental projects that focus on cruising and use social networks to show people how to avoid plastic.
Keyword social media: You have over 10,000 users who follow your channel on YouTube. Thousands watch your videos. How important are social networks for you and your project?
They are fundamental to the project. It's all about reach - after all, I want to reach as many people as possible with my content. On the other hand, I like to tell stories. That just goes really well with sailing.
More and more sailors are sharing their adventures on social networks. How do you view this development?
There are two sides to this issue. On the one hand, such content can lead to misconceptions. Let's take the Ocean Race as an example: on their channels you can see sailing yachts thundering through violent storms - conditions in which no sensible person would go out. Some people overestimate their own abilities because of these videos, which can lead to serious incidents. On the other hand, I understand anyone who wants to share their experiences. Personally, I think it's great, and my own project has also been inspired by the endeavours of others.
You are 19 years old. Do you see your age as an opportunity or a challenge?
I think it's both a unique opportunity that I will look back on with pride later, and a long-cherished dream that I don't want to put off until retirement. Travelling at a young age opens up different opportunities and perspectives than in later life. Of course, travelling also brings challenges. Although I've been sailing since I was a child, I don't have decades of sailing experience. It could happen that the clearance authorities don't take me very seriously. So far, however, I haven't had any negative experiences in this regard.
How did you prepare for the trip?
I still remember the evening three years ago when I made the decision to travel. Since then, I have focussed everything on it. First, I acquired the necessary knowledge and obtained several licences. I also endeavoured to learn more about boat engines, on-board hardware and repairs. Then came the search for the right boat.
They chose an old Optima 92 from Dehler. Why this particular boat?
The boat is very inexpensive in comparison. With a ballast ratio of 48 percent and a draught of 1.65 metres for a length of 9.2 metres, it is impressively stable. The structure is also robust; the hull is constructed with thick walls. In addition, the rigging and sails date from 2007 and are still in good condition.
The boat is from 1976, what condition was it in when you bought it?
Admittedly, it wasn't really visually attractive, especially below deck. She was simply getting on in years. The electrics also left a lot to be desired; they were largely original with various modifications made by the previous owners. After we transferred the boat from the Schlei, where we had bought it, to the Netherlands, we overhauled it during the winter holidays. The electrics were completely renewed. There were some visual improvements, but technically the boat was well maintained and serviced.
Did you have to invest a lot?
We paid around 15,500 euros for the boat. I can't say how much the conversion ultimately cost. But I think it's more important to have a boat in good condition than to spend a lot of money on a new boat.
How are you financing the project?
I've saved up a buffer over time. I also work as a freelance editor. On the other hand, YouTube is working better and better. YouTube now covers 100 per cent of my monthly grocery shopping. I want to expand that.
Do you already know when you will be back?
The whole thing is scheduled to take one and a half to two years, depending on what comes in between ...
... such as your collision in France?
That doesn't slow me down much. Due to the hurricane season in the Pacific, I wouldn't have been able to leave the Marquesas until June anyway. Now I will arrive there about two months later. In theory, my schedule won't change much.
