Vendee Globe 2020: What Boris Herrmann is packing in his kitbag - Part 3

The first pictures from Les Sables from Team Malizia have been arriving via WhatsApp since the early hours of the morning. The livestream of the departure and the legendary exit from the harbour, whose breakwaters are usually lined with tens of thousands of fans, is also already running. This time, however, the piers remain empty due to coronavirus. Only the balconies of the houses on the quays are cheering.

It is damp, hazy and cold - a good prelude to the even more depriving weeks in the Southern Ocean, along the ice edge, that lie ahead for the skippers. So it's not surprising that Boris Herrmann has taken precautions. His personal equipment includes a number of things that will make the next 70 to 80 days more cheerful and cosy. Here they are:

1) To toast
Three bottles of single malt whisky, one for each of the great capes. It's a tradition, even among the professionals. And don't worry: each bottle only contains 0.05 litres of the amber-coloured brew. As Boris always gives Rasmus a sip too, there's no danger of a hangover.

2) To savour
Perhaps the most surprising item on the packing list: two small drinking glasses. On board an Imoca racer, they definitely come under luxury. So why? Well, because they prolong the pleasure. "The whisky tastes even better out of them, and it can develop its full flavour below deck," says Boris Herrmann, who will have to do without such intense aromas for a long time.

3) For the flavour
Speaking of enjoyment: one of the things the Hamburg native would never set sail without is a small collection of spices, for which his team has made him a special holder. In it: chilli powder, pepper, salt, tabasco and harissa to spice up the expedition food he has on board (half of it freeze-dried for weight reasons, the other half packed "wet")

4) For in between
Once the apples, oranges and the few remaining fresh foods that Boris carries in nets under the cabin roof like a classic long-distance sailor have been eaten, he still has other snacks: he swears by sustainably produced cheese and biscuits from the Italian Fattoria La Vialla. Incidentally, Wilfried Erdmann also loves their products.

5) For control purposes
The body must not become dehydrated in order to remain fully efficient at all times. The simple answer is to drink plenty of fluids. But how much is enough? And how much has already been drunk? Trusting that he will get thirsty is not a solution for a top athlete like Boris Herrmann. Because then he's already well on target. That's why, for the first time at the Vendée, he has a Water bottle with level gauge and app connection on board. It measures how much he is drinking and displays it on his iPhone.

6) To fall asleep
In the North Atlantic and the Southern Ocean, the fleet will be travelling in air temperatures close to zero degrees. It will be constantly damp and clammy below deck. As long as the skippers are moving around, this is bearable with good clothes - but not when they are asleep, when their bodies are shutting down. That's why they all have thick expedition sleeping bags with them, some with synthetic filling, some with hygroscopically treated down as a layer of warmth. Boris also takes a thick fleece blanket with him. This keeps him warm when he takes a little nap in his carbon seat.

And then there's another item on board that hardly anyone would expect: a Small hot water bottle with fur cover . It is proof of Boris' extensive experience in extreme areas. If his feet don't want to "thaw out" in the Southern Ocean, which can happen, he fills the rubber bag with boiling water and takes it into his sleeping bag.

7) To think about it
Something hangs above his bunk that may not warm his body, but it warms his heart: a paper Advent calendar filled with chocolate. Instead of a Father Christmas, a photo of his wife Birte and daughter Marie-Louise beams at him. And they are not the only pictures of his loved ones he has on board. A good motivation to sail firstly safely and secondly quickly.

8) To reflect
His mental coach Thomas Theurillat has given Boris a logbook to take with him on the Vendée. It has exactly 80 pages, one for each day at sea. And they are already dated, starting on 8 November. Each day is divided into three sections: Boat, Weather, Psyche. Boris will record how he assesses the situation, what is going well and what he can still improve. "This will help me to take a helicopter view - especially when the going gets tough."

9) For orientation
In the constant sleep-wake cycle of a solo sailor, the internal clock can sometimes get mixed up. That's why almost all skippers wear a timepiece on their wrist. Alex Thomson even straps on a kind of "stun gun" because he dozes off so deeply that even a loud alarm wouldn't wake him up. Boris, on the other hand, relies on a mechanical chronograph: the SeaQ from Glashütte Original with large luminous numerals that can be read even in the deepest darkness, and a 100-hour power reserve.

10) For a clear view
The small, fine Swiss sunglasses brand Vallon has created a special edition especially for Boris and his team Malizia. The name of the model already sounds like a stiff breeze: Howlin ' - as in "howling wind".

11) For the overview
His "Seaexplorer" has several hundred thousand euros' worth of navigation electronics on board. The fibre-optic compass alone costs as much as a luxury limousine. So it may come as a surprise that Boris has a inflatable plastic globe in the duffel bag. What's it for? Well, we can reassure you: It won't be used to plot a course. If all the instruments fail, the 39-year-old still has paper nautical charts, compasses and binoculars with a bearing compass. So he won't have to navigate using the globe. Instead, it will be used for his "My Ocean Challenge" project, with which he wants to teach young schoolchildren around the world about the importance of the oceans for the climate - including during the Vendée, with live broadcasts to some classes. You can find all the information here here.

12) For happiness
Anyone who sacrifices high spirits for Rasmus' blessing also needs a mascot. Boris' is called "Alphonso" and has already accompanied him twice around the world: in 2008 at the Portimao Global Ocean Race, which he won together with co-skipper Felix Oehme on the Class 40 "Beluga Racer", and in 2011 at the Barcelona World Race, where he came fifth with Ryan Breymaier in his Imoca debut. The little cuddly toy belongs to the daughter of a friend from Hamburg and has already competed in several transatlantic races. Of course it has to come along!