Vendée Globe: The anniversary of Boris Herrmann's crime thriller finale: the night sailing captivated an audience of millions

There are historic sporting moments that remain unforgotten. These "once in a lifetime" heroic days or nights, of which everyone who was there still remembers the most fascinating details. One such night was the one from 27 to 28 January 2021, when countless people lost sleep as circumnavigator Boris Herrmann approached the home straight of his Vendée Globe premiere. Everything still seemed possible for him, the dream of a podium place within his grasp, even victory not out of the question. Which is why more than 650,000 viewers tuned in to the NDR live broadcast alone to watch their sailing favourite. Millions of viewers watched nationally and internationally in front of their screens and on social networks.

The 27th January, which also marked the 162nd birthday of the German "sailing emperor" Wilhelm II and the 171st birthday of the unfortunate "Titanic" captain Edward John Smith, was to turn into an unexpectedly dramatic night for Herrmann and his fans and turn into an emotional rollercoaster ride through the lows and highs of the toughest competition in sailing to the finish.

The flashback: The battle for a top position, which viewers are following spellbound on their screens, is suddenly shattered by the night-time collision of Herrmann's "Seaexplorer - Yacht Club de Monaco" with a fishing boat. In his book "Alone between sea and sky", the skipper later writes: "Who is actually directing this film? If the whole thing were a film, the makers would have to be admonished: Don't get carried away! It's enough that after almost 80 days, after a race around the world, five yachts are so close together just before the finish line. But fate - or whoever - has obviously decided to keep the tension up until the last minute." And much more mercilessly than Herrmann would have liked.

Shortly after the domestic media herald the decision in the night, the sailing thriller is even announced on the ARD news programme and the live broadcasts begin at 8.25 pm with coverage in over 100 countries, the unbelievable happens out at sea: at 8.26 pm, Herrmann is woken from his last dreamless sleep at sea by a booming crash. The collision with a fishing boat is quickly revealed - initially only to him. The misfortune befalls him just 90 nautical miles away from the finish line, which had seemed so close but is now a distant memory.

While Herrmann gets a quick overview of the damage, the initially uncertain situation at home causes a stir. The commentators on the live broadcast are not to be envied, as they initially lack information, which is only gradually arriving. In the social networks, the wires are running hot, because one thing cannot be overlooked: The "Seaexplorer", which was still travelling briskly a moment ago, is barely moving on course for Les Sables-d'Olonne. Something must have happened. During the course of the evening, Herrmann resolves this "something" with a short video that he sends from on board and in which he describes his first impressions of the collision with the fishing trawler "Hermanos Busto".

Herrmann is lucky in his misfortune and, despite some breakage on board, is pleased that the mast of his boat is still standing. How easily the near-disaster could have shattered his big dream of the first completed Vendée Globe for a German skipper. Herrmann denied himself thoughts of this in his darkest Vendée Globe hours. With a good 80 days of solo sailing under his belt and the shock in his bones, he puts all the strength he still has into making it through. After around three hours of repairs, he actually makes it back to the cradle of the Vendée Globe with his demolished but still sailable Imoca. He crossed the finish line at 11.19 am on 28 January 2021. This remains the moment in which Boris Herrmann achieves the most important success of his sailing career to date: he has arrived.

Boris Herrmann will continue to write his story with Team Malizia. The new boat for the next adventures - The Ocean Race and Vendée Globe - will be christened and launched in the summer. Then, after a year and a half without his own boat, he will be able to set course for new magical sailing moments.