Is Boris Herrmann and the Malizia – Seaexplorer’s big time now coming at the Vendée Globe? The Hamburg skipper sees the rougher conditions as a “home game for our boat”. NDR expert Tim Kröger believes that the competition “won’t hit the wall either”.
“Downwind, strong seas, rough conditions” – Herrmann hopes that the time has come for himself and his boat, “for our design”, on the circumnavigation of the world, given the current weather conditions. “We’re off to a good start now.”
According to the Hamburg native on Wednesday, he hopes to be able to reduce the gap to the competition sailing in front of him as far as Cape Horn. “I am convinced we will get there before January 1st.”
NDR sailing expert Kröger thinks this is realistic: It’s good that Herrmann has been able to stick with the boats in front of him in the past few days. The front part of the fleet was not completely pulled apart, as Herrmann had feared at the weekend.
“If the others have to shift down a gear, Boris can still go full throttle with his four-wheel drive.”
— NDR sailing expert Tim Kröger
Kröger believes that the design of his boat could now suit him: “Its design is designed for downwind in big waves. While the others have to shift down a gear, Boris can still go full throttle with his all-wheel drive. He can now make more use of that and it It’s also great that he connected with the second group.”
The wind is now weakening somewhat and Herrmann used the day to adjust the configuration of the Malizia accordingly. “I’m currently in the process of converting the boat so that it can sail properly downwind,” reported the 43-year-old. His team tongue-in-cheek described his work on deck in a blog entry as a “nice two-hour workout.”
Of course it’s not that, it’s hard work, says Kröger. Just redistributing the moving mass on board takes energy. “The balance of the boat is crucial,” he says: “When the wind decreases a little, you want to encourage the boat to start surfing a little faster and, in conjunction with the foils, create a better position.” Accordingly, Herrmann also shifted a little more weight to the rear.
Kröger: Lunven and Co. “won’t hit the wall”
To what extent will the ninth-placed man from Hamburg manage to gain further ground on his competitors in front of him – Paul Meilhat (Biotherm, eighth place) and Yannick Bestaven (Maitre Coq V, seventh place) – or fourth to sixth place with Nicolas Lunven (Holci-PRB)? , Thomas Ruyant (Vulnerable) and Jérémie Beyou (Charal) remain to be seen.
The high pressure area that has been between the three leaders Charlie Dalin (Macif Santé Prévoyance), Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) and Sébastien Simon (Gruoupe Dubreuil) and the group around Lunven in recent days will move towards the north. And the pursuers “wouldn’t hit the wall,” said Kröger.
Dalin and Richomme “the toughest”
The current three-way battle at the top also fascinates the Admiral’s Cup winner: “It’s crazy what they’re delivering. Dalin and Richomme are sailing at a distance of 900 m – on the other side of the globe with a low in the Southern Ocean. That “It’s match racing at its best, but the two of them are probably the toughest in the field and fight hard until the end.” He’s not surprised that Sébastien Simon is also at the forefront despite a broken foil: “It limits him, but not always and in all conditions.”
The fact that Dalin, who has been the dominant leader for a long time, has recently faced such tough competition could also be due to technical problems that the Macif skipper reported in the morning. It took him 36 hours to repair an unspecified sailing problem. Now the boat is “at 100 percent” again.
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Sports club | 12/22/2024 | 10:50 p.m
