He did not have much advantage in the end: with just one hour's distance, Hamburger Boris Herrmann was the first to cross the finish line in Cuxhaven on Wednesday morning at the Atlantic Anniversary Regatta (AAR). Immediately behind his yacht "Malizia" lay the "Varuna" of Jens Kellinghusen, also a hamburger. The official end of the regatta, which was launched on July 8 in Bermuda, is Hamburg, where the 150th anniversary of the North German Regatta Association is celebrated.

"We fly over the North Atlantic, like a dream," wrote Boris Herrmann after less than a week of boarding, "Topspeed is 28 knots, 22 in average." With ideal, fresh winds from the side, the 18-meter-long "Malizia" lifted on its wings and reached top speeds of more than 50 km / h. "After days of downwind sailing under spinnaker, we finally have the conditions we love," the skipper continues. As a result, his team increased its lead over the slightly smaller "Varuna" to well over 50 nautical miles.

Team Malizia

Racetracker: "Malizia" just before German waters

Anyone who had seen a preliminary decision on the 3500 nautical miles - almost 6600 kilometers - long route, but soon learned a better thing. On the Hatz along the English south coast, the upholstery melted away. "The 'Varuna' is a very fast ship that is also excellently sailed," Herrmann reported aboard. "With our crew of only five, we'll have a tough time against them in the English Channel and the Tide under land, as changing sail with us will take much longer, but we'll fight to the end." On board are the Hamburg businessman Claus Löwe, owner of the sailing yacht "Leu", with son Christopher and his fore shipman Tim Müller and the Bremen entrepreneur Christoph Enge.

In the middle of the Atlantic, Herrmann's team had to survive a moment of shock. In a gust, "Malizia" got out of control and nearly capsized. "I had just closed my eyes for a moment, then the chaos took its course," said the 37-year-old, "the boat made an accidental crash turn, and the wind pushed us flat on the water, we just drifted sideways unchecked It's never been so hectic, but this was such a moment, luckily everything stayed healthy and no one got hurt. "

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Solo sailor Boris Herrmann: On wings around the world

Break on the "Rambler 88" and "RED"

Less lucky, however, were the Hamburg yacht "RED" and the top favorite "Rambler 88" from the USA. Ex-SPIEGEL CEO Matthias Müller von Blumencron, skipper of the "RED" reported the collision with a whale. The suspension of the rudder was torn completely out of the stern of the yacht, luckily the crew was able to stop the ingress of water quickly. It was already the second damage for the "RED": Only two days before a rudder suspension was broken, and Blumencron had to give up the race. When he rammed the whale, he was already on his way to the Azores to repair the damage.

The Maxiracer "Rambler 88" by George David left after two days because of a rudder break - the yacht had collided with an unknown object under water.

"It is a great pity for the teams and the race, both of them have prepared themselves thoroughly and we would have liked to see them in Hamburg", Mr Boris Herrmann also regretted the departure of the allegedly strongest competitor, even though this opened the way for the " Varuna "to fight for victory at the finish.

After the finish, "Malizia" continues sailing up the Elbe to Hamburg, passing through the Elbphilharmonie and mooring at the Sandtorhafen. With this yacht, the three-time circumnavigator Boris Herrmann 2020 is the first German ever to participate in the legendary Vendée Globe Regatta - solo non-stop around the world.

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Team Malizia

Also read:

  • Report about Herrmann's participation in the Fastnet Race : "600 nautical miles on wings"
  • Interview about his Vendée Globe preparation : "The sailor and his fake ear"