From regatta pro to novelist
Lutz Patrunky has lived a life for racing. In the 1980s, he was one of the best German sailors internationally, later celebrated great success as a coach and is now attracting attention in a new field - as an author of crime novels. The 67-year-old recently published his second novel, "Lebenswege", in which he once again takes the reader into the world of sailing, among other things.
The story once again centres on Patrunky's fictional character, Inspector Tom Bohm. As in his first work, "Lebenslügen" (Lies of Life), Bohm investigates his former friend and skipper Lucky Leonhardt, with whom he grew up and sailed in the Olympics. However, Leonhardt has gone from being a successful sportsman to the leader of an international gang that smuggles cocaine and doping agents into Europe. In "Lebenswege", Bohm now wants to finally put a stop to the ex-co-sailor after a series of mysterious attacks on boat dealers.
Authentic insights into the world of sailing
The content of Patrunky's novels is fuelled by his special knowledge of the sailing world. For decades, the 67-year-old's life was closely linked to high-performance sailing. As an athlete in the 1980s, he himself was one of the big names on the German regatta scene.
Perhaps one of his greatest achievements cannot be described as simply winning a title. At the height of his active career, he achieved the metamorphosis from top international helmsman in the 470 to Finn dinghy racer at the highest level, a feat that was actually thought impossible. The difference in optimum body weight between the two disciplines is still a good 20 kilograms. Patrunky made up the difference through strength, fitness and toughness - among other things, he took advantage of the opportunity to ride out with a weight waistcoat weighing up to twelve kilograms, which was still permitted at the time.
Successes as an athlete and coach
Patrunky became German champion in the Finn Dinghy in 1983, but narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 1984 Olympics against the world and vice world champion Wolfgang Gerz. However, due to his versatility and performance, he was called up to the German Sailing Association's Olympic team for Los Angeles as a substitute. After studying mechanical engineering, Patrunky worked in the automotive industry and, following the end of his active career in 1985, increasingly utilised his sailing experience to make a name for himself as a sailing coach. In particular, he celebrated great successes with the leading German women's teams in the 470. Among other things, he coached the 1988 Olympic team in Pusan. He was also successful as coach of the German Finn team from 1985 to 1988. Starting with four C-squad sailors, he ended up with four A-squad sailors and a world champion in Thomas Schmid.
From America's Cup to crime novelist
A particular highlight of Patrunky's career was his involvement with the first and only German America's Cup challenger United Internet Team Germany. From 2004 to 2007, he worked as a sports manager in Valencia. "Working with and competing against the best sailors and teams in the world was one of the most outstanding experiences of my life!" says Patrunky today. This intense time in competitive sport shaped him and provided material for his books, which he writes at his second home in Pollença on Mallorca - where he also works as a coach.
He has always had an interest in writing. "The stories about the sailing LKA inspector Tom Bohm with his competitive sports past had been haunting my mind for many years," says Patrunky. "I kept writing individual episodes or had ideas that I discarded sooner or later. Memories came back and found their way into the stories." Fans of Patrunky's crime novels can already look forward to more: a third book with Tom Bohm is in the works and is due to be published in November this year.
Patrunky's books can be ordered from Amazon can be ordered. The paperback costs 16.99 euros, and hardbacks and ebooks are also available. If you can't or don't want to order from Amazon, you can do so via the Homepage from Patrunky - you can even get a personalised dedication for the same price.
