Susann Beucke had already described taking part in the Ocean Race as “fulfilling a lifelong dream”. At her debut on the second stage of the circumnavigation, the woman from Kiel celebrated victory with the team Holcim – PRB and was overwhelmed.
As if everything weren’t emotional enough, then there was this song on the way to Cape Town: “Unstoppable” by the Australian singer Sia. Initially carried in a soul style, the song picks up speed after half a minute and shortly thereafter unfolds its full intensity. The chorus says: “I’m unstoppable, I’m invincible, so powerful, so confident – I’m unstoppable today.”
“I knew that in my first offshore race there would be a lot of things I had never done before. But then it was so much harder than I had thought.”
— Susan Beucke
At the latest when Susann Beucke heard these sounds in the South African metropolis at the finish line, all the dams broke. “Coming in here now, seeing the family and the team and hearing the team song, there was no stopping me. It’s incredible,” said the native of Kiel in an interview with NDR. The 31-year-old had tears of joy running down his cheeks. “I couldn’t hold back my emotions when we drove towards the jetty because it was just so incredibly hard,” emphasized Beucke.
She had prepared herself for the Ocean Race: “I knew it would be my first offshore race, I knew there would be a lot of things that I had never done before. But then it was so much harder, than I thought.”
60,000 km around the world in six months
After 4,600 nautical miles from Cape Verde to Cape Town, the yacht with the Olympic silver medalist from Tokyo was the first to reach the finish line. Even without the woman from Kiel on board, Holcim had already prevailed on the first section. The Swiss yacht with skipper Kevin Escoffier won ahead of Biotherm and the 11th Hour Racing Team on Sunday. Fourth was the Malizia team without Boris Herrmann. The Hamburger missed his team because of a burn on his foot. The 41-year-old wants to get back into the third stage.
After two stages, Team Holcim – PRB leads the overall standings with a maximum of ten points ahead of US team 11th Hour Racing (seven) and French team Biotherm (six). After finishing third and fourth in the stages, Herrmann’s team Malizia (five) is initially in fourth place ahead of the taillights of Guyot Environnement – Team Europe (two) with Berlin skipper Robert Stanjek.
Third stage starts on February 26th
The journey continues on February 26th, the destination is Itajai in Brazil, 12,750 nautical miles have to be mastered. Beucke, a silver medalist in the 49er FX at the Olympic Games, is the first German participant in the Ocean Race in 40 years. In total, five crews have to cover 60,000 km around the world over a period of six months.
“It grabbed me even more because it pushed me more to the limits of my possibilities.”
— Susan Beucke
Beucke identified fundamental differences between the two forms of sailing. “The intensity here is completely different than in Olympic sailing. Perfection is more important there,” said the sports soldier. “Living here at the Ocean Race with five people on board, having them around at all times and not a bit of privacy, also dealing with situations in which I felt unsafe, for example when all the electricity went out in the middle of the night – that is simply completely different,” says the native of Kiel. “It grabbed me even more because it pushed me more to the limits of my possibilities.”
It sounds as if a permanent switch to offshore sailing is very possible. She had already said in the run-up to the Ocean Race: “For me, a lifelong dream has come true.” Her long-term goal is to take part in the Vendée Globe solo circumnavigation, where Herrmann inspired many people to sail in 2020/2021.
Thrilling finish in Cape Town
The close decision on arrival in Cape Town also helped to make victory on the second of seven stages feel so good. Beucke: “The weather report allowed us to be very close to each other. All boats were still able to win. I think we made it because we made about five or six changes of sail, got every centimeter out of the boat and the pushed all the time. That’s why we stand as winners.” As victors overcome by their emotions.
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sports club | 02/12/2023 | 10:50 p.m
