Photo: dpa / Team-Malizia.com / Boris Herrmann
Boris Herrmann greeted the dinghies with two flares that greeted him shortly before their destination. Among the top five, the first German to sail the Vendée Globe into the port of the small town of Les Sables-d’Olonne. You can see his relief. Because in the last few kilometers it had become critical again for Herrmann, who always drove so constantly.
Shortly before the French Atlantic coast, the 39-year-old collided with a fishing boat. His “Sea-Explorer” was badly damaged and one of its two wings, which should actually allow the boat to glide dynamically over the sea, broke. A sail also broke in the accident. Luck for Herrmann: The Sea-Explorer did not leak and he was able to sail the last 85 nautical miles to the end, even if only at a reduced speed.
Actually, many technical aids on board should have warned the sailor of the obstacle, but none sounded the alarm in the dark. On his YouTube channel, on which Herrmann reported daily about his trip, he described the precautions he had taken after the accident: »I checked that everything was working properly. I watched the radar locate ships exactly, everything was perfect. I don’t understand. ”The fisherman probably switched off his tracking devices. At the time of the impact, of all times, Herrmann lay down on his bunk, probably for the last time.
Before the accident, the man from Hamburg had a very good chance of getting onto the podium. He sailed with the French Charlie Dalin, Louis Burton and Yannik Bestaven in the leading group. Some even believed in a sensational victory for the very first German at a Vendée Globe. The legendary circumnavigation of the world has been taking place every four years since 1989, and until now a Frenchman has always won.
Now someone was able to secure the trophy again: Yannik Bestaven. Although he crossed the finish line in third place, he was credited with a good ten hours by the jury for helping him find Kevin Escoffier, who was in a wreck in December. Escoffier’s boat broke in a storm after four weeks, and the sailor had just managed to get into his lifeboat. After a twelve-hour search, his opponent Jean le Cam was able to rescue him from waves up to six meters high. Boris Herrmann was also involved in the search and was given six hours’ time credit.
Apart from the fact that his hydrogen generators broke after about a third of the way due to excessive speed, the German was one of the few who came around the world without major damage. The spectacular forces of nature had also put a heavy strain on his sailing boat. The generators are one of three power sources, next to solar panels and a diesel engine, with which the technical aids are electrically supplied. The 39-year-old was able to fix the problem after a day and then constantly fought his way forward.
During the Vendée Globe, Boris Herrmann repeatedly spoke of the fact that he wanted to finish above all else. Eight other boats had suffered so much damage that their sailors had to abandon the race. In the last week of the trip, however, Herrmann’s mentality changed a little. With a view to the placement, he reported to ZDF: »Not a single meter is left behind here. I try absolutely everything to sail as quickly as possible. ”Shortly before the nightly impact, he was in the top three.
Nevertheless, Boris Hermann looked completely relieved when he entered the safe harbor of the Vendée region. He more than achieved his personal goal of arriving safely. Like Phileas Fogg from Jules Verne’s “Journey Around the Earth in 80 Days”, Herrmann sailed the oceans at the same time – just alone and not accompanied by Passepartout. Perhaps the French would have seen the fishing boat.
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