The chorus has potential: "Now's your chance: Boris, go all out!" Frank Schönfeldt, Hamburg sailmaker, 38-time German champion in five different boat classes and well known in the German sailing scene as a singer-songwriter for decades, has given Boris Herrmann a new song. In "Boris flieg!", Schönfeldt sings about the fan phenomenon that Herrmann has not only triggered in him. The regatta-experienced Frank Schönfeldt sings about the exciting nights he has spent watching Herrmann's Vendée Globe adventure, about his mother-in-law, who is also infected, about the moments Boris Herrmann has already lived through in this race and, of course, about the exciting final phase, which will reach its final climax in the coming week.
Frank became known as a singer in the sailing scene with his band "Matrose Schönfeldt und die Schwimmwesten". Titles such as "Helgoland", "Links" and "Der Vorschotidiot" are considered cult songs among regatta sailors. Now the 65-year-old Clown Sails owner from Mühlenberger Segel-Club has spontaneously put his enthusiasm for Boris Herrmann's Vendée Globe premiere into words and set it to music. The video was edited by Marion Schmitz. In these last gripping days of the solo marathon around the world, it is well suited to cheering on the first German participant in the Vendée Globe, who is currently fighting for a podium place.
Boris Herrmann already has the Schönfeldt song on his ears, reacted enthusiastically immediately after the reception on Friday afternoon and sent the singer a cheerful message to their shared hometown of Hamburg: "Hey, Frank, you know what the craziest thing is? We just got a position update. 50 minutes ago. And if I've got it right, I think that was my fastest average speed ever in this race. I really haven't averaged 20 knots yet! So now the box is flying too. When I heard the song, we had the fastest moment of the whole race. Isn't that a funny coincidence? It's crazy! The song helps over the distance, the energy comes through."
In fact, Boris Herrmann was sailing very fast on Saturday evening and had reduced his gap to leader Charlie Dalin to just 42 nautical miles at 10 p.m. German time on 23 January. 24 nautical miles separated Herrmann from second-placed Louis Burton on "Bureau Vallée 2". The tension in the battle for the podium places is now increasing by the hour.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
