Brudek is no longer a stranger to German sailing circles. At the latest since her participation in the Midsummersail and Silverrudder, she has made a name for herself as a passionate single-handed skipper. She recently spoke in detail in the YACHT podcast about her anything but easy career and her motivation to keep trying out new things and exploring personal limits (click here to listen!).
And now she and her "Heartbeat 2" are moored in the marina in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. If the ARC flag wasn't attached to the backstay, it would be hard to believe that such a boat would be sailing across the Atlantic with all the big fast or comfortable yachts. The JPK 10.30 is the smallest boat in the ARC 2025, with low freeboard and an open stern.
Crossing the pond on the smallest boat in the ARC fleet
As if that wasn't enough, things are spartan below deck. No interior panelling whatsoever, a bunk for three sailors, a camping gas cooker for boiling water for coffee and for pouring on bagged food, drinking water measured to the millilitre, and just 35 litres of fuel in the diesel tank. Brudek wants to save as much weight as possible.
"With a displacement of 3.7 tonnes, the boat itself is not light for a racer. I pay attention to every extra gram," admits the 56-year-old and has to laugh a little at herself. "It's actually pretty crazy to restrict yourself like that. But on the other hand, it's always amazing to see how little you can get by with in life."
It's amazing how little you can get by with in life."
In contrast to her previous major regattas, this time she is not alone on board. The ARC prohibits the participation of single-handed sailors for safety reasons. Two sailing acquaintances, aged 55 and 64, are accompanying the likeable German, whose home port is Hooksiel. "We agreed to sail the ARC together on a whim at a social gathering one evening," she explains. "Now we're actually here."
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She only bought her "Heartbeat 2", built in 2019, from a French regatta sailor in March. He had wanted to give up sport sailing due to his age. "When we signed the purchase contract and he saw on my ID that I was a year older than him, it really shocked him," she says with a grin.
She spent the spring and summer competing with French regatta sailors in various regattas in the Mediterranean and optimising the boat. In September, the two ARC co-sailors set off from Marseille along the Spanish Mediterranean coast and through the Strait of Gibraltar to Gran Canaria. They travelled for around one and a half weeks.
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"I was a little worried about an encounter with orcas," says Brudek. That's why she bought a whale pinger. "Fortunately, we didn't encounter the animals," she says, looking back with relief.
I was a bit worried about an encounter with orcas."
She calculates a sailing time of 18 to 20 days for the shortest route of 2,700 nautical miles to the Caribbean. "The boat has already sailed at a top speed of 16.5 knots, but that will hardly be possible with three people on board and all the extra weight," she explains, and you can clearly hear the regretful undertone.
After all, they would undoubtedly start to glide, even if perhaps not quite as quickly as usual. "And," she adds, "given the enormous distance, you have to stay sensible and sail responsibly." Out there, you're ultimately on your own when in doubt.
Of course, you have to stay sensible and sail responsibly."
She wonders whether she isn't a little afraid of tackling the Atlantic with the comparatively small JPK. She shakes her head, but admits that she has a lot of respect for very high waves coming through from astern, which may even break. "If that happens to us, I simply won't look behind," says the skipper. "But I assume that we will benefit from an Atlantic swell, even if it is high, but rather long. Then we can really pick up speed." Her anticipation is clear to see when she says this.
I'm simply not going to look behind."
She is more than happy about her long layover in the harbour of Las Palmas until the current start of the ARC. She was surprised at how quickly she was integrated into the local sailing scene, which has nothing to do with the ARC. "But I also think all the socialising with all the other rally participants who have gradually arrived over the past two to three weeks has been great."
She wants to stay in the Caribbean until April or May. It is hardly surprising that she is planning to take part in as many of the Caribbean regattas as possible, from the Caribbean 600 to Antigua Race Week. The plan is to return to Europe with the two sailing friends. However, it remains to be seen which destination they will ultimately head for. Brudek: "Maybe it's time for the boat to see its home harbour in Hooksiel."
