"It's been hanging by a thread so far. It's been madness over the last few weeks," says team manager Jens Kuphal about the rollercoaster ride that his Guyot team has been on since the mast broke on the night of 8 May. At the same time, Jens Kuphal recalls the fighting spirit of his team, which has never faded despite the many setbacks: "I had set the motto: We have to make the impossible possible once again."
Review: Team Guyot may not have scored any big points in the opening stages of the 14th Ocean Race, but they were able to demonstrate time and again with outstanding performances that the team can play in the concert of the Ocean Race superpowers even with an aged Imoca. "The start in Cape Verde alone. We showed what we're made of there. It's so unfortunate that we weren't able to realise our great potential," says Jens Kuphal.
"Guyot's" black series: first hull delamination, then mast breakage
A series of unfortunate technical problems prevented more. The first serious setback came on the Cape Horn King leg, which the team led by skipper Ben Dutreux and co-skipper Robert Stanjek had to abandon after just a few days due to delamination on the hull. The disappointment was huge, but so was the fighting spirit.
After successful repairs in Cape Town, the team had reached the next Ocean Race stage harbour of Itajaí by sea on their own keel and started stage four full of hope. Once again, the "Guyot" quartet even managed to take the lead for a while. An initial problem with the foil suspension came as a harbinger of the knockout blow that was to follow and caused the team to fall behind. But that was not the low point.
Low blow on course for Newport: hopes dashed with the mast
The second heavy blow after the hull delamination followed on the night of 8 May. When the mast broke on course for Newport, all hopes of a conciliatory end to the leg were dashed. What's more, it quickly became clear that the team would not have enough time or budget to bring a replacement mast to the USA.
Guyot Environnement - Team Europe seemed to have reached the end of its tether. While the rest of the Ocean Race fleet prepared for leg five from Newport to Aarhus, Team Guyot could only ship its mastless Imoca from its unfortunate solitude in Halifax to Europe. "In Halifax, the whole team was together. That's when the clock started ticking. We were all on the ropes. Morally too. A second accident - that was the end of the story for us. Everyone had almost come to terms with it, because: How were we supposed to come back?" Jens Kuphal remembers the difficult days.
The others look after you as if it were their own team" (Jens Kuphal)
In Halifax, the chance of getting back into the Ocean Race seemed marginal to non-existent. Nevertheless, the team never gave up on exploring all possibilities. The unfortunate "Guyot" sailors and their entire team received massive encouragement and offers of support from the Ocean Race family. "The race is an exciting sporting event, but also so much more," Jens Kuphal has long known.
The sport on the water and the sporting spirit, says the Berlin team conductor, keelboat sailor and music producer, are naturally central to the Ocean Race. And yet there is also the other side: "There is at least as much going on alongside the sport. If not more. We've all been living together for six months. The solidarity among the teams is incredible. I don't know where else you could gain such experiences. It creates other relationships and bonds. You grow together. The others look after you as if it were their own team," says Kuphal.
The replacement mast comes from the US team 11th Hour Racing
On the day of the comeback announcement, the team manager's first thanks go to the US team 11th Hour Racing: "They have been very supportive. We have received their replacement mast." The mast arrived midweek from Lorient at the Knierim Yachtbau shipyard in Kiel. For the express delivery, Glogau Internationale Yachttransporte had upset its own schedule and obtained authorisations at lightning speed in order to get the mast to the north of Germany on time.
Guyot's tech team and ten international boatbuilding experts are now working day and night on the hull, mast, foils and rudder. The logistics problems have been solved and the financial feat of strength resolved. Skipper Benjamin Dutreux explains: "The decisions were not easy to make. Over the last 15 days, we have had many discussions with many people involved to see if it is feasible to get back into the race. It is a costly and logistical challenge. There was a lot of damage on board, we had to find a lot of support to get back on our feet."
The potentially necessary task always hung over my head like a sword of Damocles" (Ben Dutreux)
Ben Dutreux also had to think about planning the rest of the season with the boat after the Ocean Race: "I had to bear in mind that we would be taking part in the Transat Jacques Vabre in October. The idea of cancelling the race inevitably came up. This was always the last option. Since then it has been hanging over my head like the sword of Damocles. But deep down, I was convinced that we would find the necessary solutions to get back into the race."
Now the Guyot plan has been finalised: "We're coming to Aarhus to tackle legs six and seven of The Ocean Race." With the work at Knierim Yachtbau, the rescue mission for Team Guyot has now also become a piece of German sailing history. "The initiative for this special chapter came from Marc Pickel," reports Jens Kuphal.
A signalling call and an "incredible initiative"
The two-time Olympian, developer of the P-Star, successful coach of German and international Olympic crews and current supporter of the German team for the Youth America's Cup had previously supported Team Guyot. Marc Pickel's call to Jens Kuphal came in the darkest hours. Pickel's key message: "Hey, that can't be it yet!" According to Kuphal, this signal was followed by "an incredible initiative": "We took another huge step towards each other as a team and became very close as a result of this new, extreme experience."
The internal rebellion against the tough Ocean Race draw is fuelled from all sides. Jens Kuphal says: "Robert, Phillip, Annie and all the French have been really motivated once again. And Ben Dutreux is a marvellous guy who deserves not to have the disaster on his cheek even after the Ocean Race when we stop - for now."
Everyone else is driving round the buoy in Kiel and we're watching? That's not possible!" (Jens Kuphal)
"Ben and I have really come together again through this whole process. It was more than demanding both economically and in terms of time. We had so many conferences that I often had to charge my mobile phone twice a day. It's all been great with Ben, who shares our view that we can't finish the race like this."
Jens Kuphal, who once had the idea for the turning mark in front of Camp 24/7 at the fly-by on 9 June in Kiel, couldn't get the image out of his head. With the end in sight, it kept pounding in his head: "It can't end like this. I campaigned for this tonne back then. I am the father of the bin in Kiel. It can't be that we're not driving round this bin now. Everyone else is driving round and we're watching? That's not possible! The Ocean Race in Germany and we're not there? That's not possible either! This is the moment we've worked so long for ..."
Boris has also really got stuck in. We talk to each other on the phone almost every day" (Jens Kuphal)
These ideas only make Team Guyot work even harder to make the impossible possible after all. "Boris has also really got stuck in," says Kuphal about Team Malizia's willingness to help. "We speak on the phone almost every day. He has said that they are counting on us. It really is a great team effort. We are also very grateful to Team Biotherm for that."
The experts at Knierim have long been working in two shifts to get "Guyot" back into regatta-capable condition as quickly as possible. It's not "just" about putting the replacement mast in the boat. When the mast broke on leg four, it fell onto the foil and deck. Both were damaged. The hull repair in particular appeared to be an almost impossible task in the short time available. In the end, the question of whether the comeback would even be possible hinged on it. "That was the Achilles heel," Jens Kuphal was not the only one to realise. The positive prognosis that now gives so much hope came from Marc Pickel again on 1 June: "We can do it."
The Ocean Race managers are there "with heart, soul and spirit"
"They're really getting stuck in!" says Kuphal, who describes the rescue mission as a "great piece of German history" in this 14th Ocean Race chapter. With countless helpers, the expertise of Knierim Yachtbau, the hands of professionals, the support of the other Ocean Race teams and the Ocean Race organisers, the comeback now looks set to succeed.
Thomas Cardin, head of the tech team, summarises the technical challenges: "The hull, foils and rudder were also damaged when the mast broke. Two bulkheads are broken. Eight boat builders are currently working day and night on this site alone. The keel suspension has to be repaired, which ties up two more boat builders for three days. In addition, one man has to repair the sheet guide for the foresail (J2), which has suffered damage at the bends and blocks."
Long to-do list, highly motivated helpers
Thomas Cardin continues: "The mast blank from 11th Hour Racing arrived on Wednesday from Lorima in Lorient, but now still has to be fitted with the cabling, technical equipment such as radar and Oscar, all halyards and spreaders as well as shrouds and stays and adapted to the boat. The replacement mainsail needs new battens. The starboard foil suffered major damage when the mast crashed onto the carbon wing after breaking. A new laminate needs to be installed over an area of around two metres."
The list of tasks is even longer: "Some laminating work is also required on the rudders. The work has already progressed considerably over the past few days, so that the plan is to push the yacht out of the shipyard on Monday and to attach the keel and foils. She is due to be launched in the Kiel Canal on Monday evening so that the mast can be set, the sails hoisted and the yacht refitted on Tuesday."
The night-time shock video of the mast breaking prompted people to help
Marc Pickel has become the focal point of the ongoing work. He has been associated with Guyot Environnement - Team Europe since the start of the campaign and has already been involved in the logistics of the team base. Pickel's motivation: "The night-time video from on board, when Benjamin Dutreux realised that the mast had broken, was the trigger for me to say: How can we make it possible for the team to complete the two remaining stages?"
Pickel activated his international contacts and spoke to the bosses of the Knierim shipyard in Kiel, Gunnar Knierim and Steffen Müller. "The Knierim shipyard was immediately on board, and with a few phone calls and new contacts, we were able to bring together a crew of boat builders from Spain, Italy, Sweden and Germany. It took a while before it was clear that the repairs could start. But then everyone was there immediately."
800 hours of labour for the hoped-for happy ending
The plan for the repair had long since been forged on the basis of photos of the damage. The work could begin as soon as the yacht and mast arrived. "A total of 800 hours of work will probably go into the repair. It's stress, but positive stress. Because we want to create a good ending here and we all feel for the sailors," says Pickel.
Gunnar Knierim and Steffen Müller from Knierim Yachtbau agree. "We're up for a fire brigade operation like this. That's what our job is all about," explained the shipyard bosses. "Commercial thinking takes second place here. When the yacht arrived here, we got to work with great enthusiasm. It's great to be involved in this project. We finally have a real racing boat in the hall again."
"Huge thanks" to Knierim Yachtbau and Marc Pickel
The crew is grateful, as they now see a silver lining on the horizon after the setbacks. Robert Stanjek said: "A huge thank you to the shipyard and Marc Pickel. This really is a high-end network that has been activated here. To overcome these challenges technically and logistically is fantastic. We are delighted with the progress the work has made in just a few days. This gives the whole Guyot Environnement - Team Europe a huge boost. We are happy to have the chance to bring the race to a proper conclusion."
Benjamin Dutreux summarised: "We have put the pieces of the puzzle together and given the go-ahead for the comeback. We will have to fight even harder over the next few days to pull off this command mission and make it to the start in Aarhus. But we are more determined than ever!" Team Guyot and Jens Kuphal were also impressed by the attitude of the Ocean Race organisers: "The organisers are there with heart, soul and spirit. They recognise what teams have to put up with to take part in this race. It's impressive how they always manage to motivate everyone to stick with it."
The comeback plan: "Guyot" sails to Aarhus from 6 June for the start of leg six
According to Kuphal, the main positive realisation was that his team was "part of this race and part of the Ocean Race family", which is why they received so much help from the others. With replacement sails from the Route du Rhum, the replacement mast from 11th Hour Racing and another repaired hull as well as high morale, Team Guyot now has a tight schedule to keep to. Kuphal says: "The plan is to have the boat afloat on 6 June. Then we will sail to Aarhus for the start of leg six. If that is tight, there will be a flying start. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes. And then we'll sail around this buoy!"
