The Ocean Race: I'm so happy!
YACHT
· 14.01.2023
Dear readers,
There was almost only one topic in the newsroom this week: The Ocean Race and the upcoming start on Sunday. Never before have We Germans so spoilt at the offshore classic: with Boris Herrmann and his "Malizia - Seaexplorer" a German team, with "Guyot Environnement" a French-German team ( Robert Stanjek and Phillip Kasüske) and on board "Holcim - PRB" at least one German crew member ( Sanni Beucke ). We've had to wait long enough for this since the "Illbruck" days. Reason to rejoice, never before have we had so many irons in the fire! So we can look forward to an exciting race in the coming weeks and months, in the middle of the sour and sour cucumber season, until the start of the season.
The only fly in the ointment is the starting field. There are just five boats in the new Imoca class the Round-the-World classification for the old Volvo 65 was won by the shortened to a European three-stage race due to a lack of starters. It really makes you fear for the Mount Everest of crew sailing around the world.
To avoid any misunderstandings, the last two editions were not exactly overcrowded with seven boats. But wasn't the idea that the comparatively huge Imoca class, with 36 starters at the Route du Rhum was supposed to breathe new life into this epitome of the ultimate offshore race? What happened there? Other than a global pandemic?
First of all, it has to be said: on the one hand, the idea of sailing on Open 60 seemed like a good one. But on the other hand, it wasn't. A good one, because there are undoubtedly many boats and teams that could tackle the race in terms of both expertise and budget. Many sailors also welcomed the move because the Imocas are exciting, state-of-the-art sailing technology and the further development of the Volvo 65 in foil regions would have been very, very expensive and there was nothing to sail with the boats after the race until the next one. A classic sponsor nightmare.
Not such a good idea, because it was probably underestimated that the Ocean Race is not so attractive for the many French teams. A quote from an Open 60 team manager I spoke to in St Malo: "The French sponsors are often not even active on the international market, they don't want or need the race."
And the race is time-consuming and expensive, swallowing up a lot of money and resources. And many teams prefer to invest this in a second set of foils, for example. In addition, quite a few skippers fear damage to their boats during the long, material-consuming race, which could jeopardise their start in the Vendée Globe or the Route du Rhum or the Transat Jacques Vabre, which are much more prestigious in France. Remember: First comes the Vendée, then nothing for a very long time.
And it was almost to be feared that the second starter class of the race with the old Volvo 65s would not really hit the mark. Honestly, which top professionals - and that's what the race wants to attract - would want to sail in an old standardised class that is no longer developing technically, is practically irrelevant internationally between races and is also really expensive? Exactly. The Class 40 class would almost be more promising, there are many more teams there, including more teams from outside France, and the teams are often relatively well positioned.
But, and this is a big BUT for me personally: all of this pales in comparison to what I've been looking forward to for months. For the first time in Imoca history, the boats will be pushed around the world with a real crew. The boats will probably show what they are made of for the first time. To be honest, the skippers at the Vendée Globe often don't manage to get more than 80 or 85 per cent out of their yachts, the boats are too exhausting to sail. Meaningful sail changes are cancelled because the skipper is knocked out. Or too tired to analyse the weather in detail. Or he has to repair something again. That hardly ever happens in the Ocean Race. Full throttle 24/7 is the motto. I'm sure we'll see a new 24-hour record for the class. It's about time, because Currently, the "old" Volvo 65 still has around 602 miles ("Akzo Nobel") The record for the Open 60 is still held by Alex Thomson's 2017 "Hugo Boss" with "only" 536.81 nautical miles - which, by the way, will be competing again as "Guyot Environnement"! Let's see what four years of further optimisation and new foils have brought!
And I'm looking forward to a race of the underdogs against the top dog. On paper, "11th Hour" should actually be sailing in front, but anyone who has seen how mercilessly Kevin Escoffier and Paul Meilhat sliced each other up on the Route du Rhum doesn't seriously believe that they will sail behind. Maybe in the first two legs, but the learning curve will be steep, much steeper than Charlie Enright and his crew will like. What Boris will do remains to be seen, Unfortunately, the unknown replacement foils are the big question mark.
But for now: just be happy, lean back, watch the start on the stream and then first thing every morning, open the tracker on your PC or smartphone to see how the race is developing. The Berliner says: I'm so happy!
Andreas Fritsch,YACHT Imoca expert
The week in pictures:
Recommended reading from the editorial team:
FINOT-CONQ 56
A sailing sculpture for four million euros
She can do everything and more: the Finot-Conq 56 built by Knierim in Kiel is the epitome of a very fast cruising yacht - and not a bit bitchy at the same time
THE OCEAN RACE
Opening victory for Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia
The first harbour race in the 14th The Ocean Race is history. With a good choice of sails and a lot of concentration, Boris Herrmann and his team Malizia came in first at the end of the doldrums pokers. They had a very special guest sailor on board ...
More about The Ocean Race:
PREMIERS
The most important innovations at boot 2023 - Part 2
Finally boot again! From 21 January, there will be plenty of premieres and innovations to see in all classes. We show you which boats the shipyards in Düsseldorf have in store! The second part covers everything from J for J-Composites to T for Tide!
ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART RACE
Aborigines claim stranded yacht for themselves
A twelve-metre sailing yacht that had previously taken part in the Sydney Hobart Race washed ashore on Australia's Cape Barren Island. The crew had to abandon the yacht, which ran aground a week later. It has now been salvaged, but the Australian Aborigines are probably claiming the yacht for themselves and demanding compensation
YACHT has now received information that makes it easier to explain the incident:
INTERVIEW
Shipyard takeover on Fehmarn - Philipp Schaich on his lifelong dream
Buying and taking over a boatyard is not an everyday business. Philipp Schaich is one of those who took the plunge. A conversation about dream and reality
127-METRE SAVER
Bezos yacht has a name- and its own supplier
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos showed his sense of style by choosing a 127-metre gaff schooner as the mother ship. The floating satellite measures 75 metres and uses a heli-platform and tender deck instead of masts
PLEASURE CRAFT LICENCE
Stricter driving licence requirements for electric motors
Changes to the Recreational Craft Driving Licence Ordinance have been in force since 1 January. Among other things, the limit for the licence requirement for electric motors has been lowered
XQUISITE 30
The touring cat as a daysailer
The segment of performance-orientated ride cats continues to grow. The new Xquisite 30 Sportcat plays a special role in this subgroup
SATELLITE COMMUNICATION
After Apple, another manufacturer follows suit
Until now, anyone who wanted to make calls from home while at sea always had to have an expensive satellite phone or a satellite router on board. But soon, ordinary smartphones will also work at sea via satellite
USED BOAT PURCHASE SPECIAL
The key to success - how to do it right!
Buying a second-hand boat can be a favourable introduction to sailing. If you prepare well, you can avoid trouble and disappointment. What should you look out for? Tips on choosing a boat and handling the purchase
