Boris Herrmann from Hamburg is currently sailing around the world in the Vendée Globe. Heavy storms and calms have torn the field apart, and these are restless days for the leaders and their pursuers. Wind speeds of up to 40 knots push the ships to their limits. The Briton Will Harris was available to replace Herrmann. He is the expert for the technical aspects of the Malizia Sea Explorer and answers some of the most important questions.
What is the Vendée Globe about?
Perhaps the fascination lies in the simplicity: a person, a boat, alone around the world, without stopping or outside help. The course runs 42,000 kilometers from France around the southern tip of Africa, around the South Pole and along the South American coast back to the start in Les Sables d’Olonne. The race around the world lasts around 80 days and started on November 10th. The opponents: the sea, the loneliness and the imponderables that attack the sailors. And of course the 40 competitors, including six female sailors, who can be the only rescuer in an emergency. The Brit Alex Thomson put it this way: “It’s not about winning, it’s about surviving.”
Why do you do that?
In short: because you can. Despite all the technical developments, the race around the world has retained the aura of a crazy adventure.
Who are the favorites?
The French. At the front, Charlie Dalin showed a lonely race for a long time, but he was now replaced by Yoann Richomme. Boris Herrmann, who designed his boat for the harsh conditions in the southern seas, was at times far behind, 2,500 kilometers behind. But it seems as if, halfway through the race, the storms in the Arctic Ocean are throwing the field into disarray again. In addition, third-placed Sébastien Simon is struggling with a defective boat, which is why a place on the podium is once again within reach for Herrmann.
:With a light heart into the storm
Boris Herrmann is far behind the leaders in the Vendée Globe, who are heading into the middle of a dangerous low pressure area. And now, of all times, the German is plagued by various problems at a mental low point.
What do you eat for 80 days?
“Food and sleep are the most important things on board,” says Will Harris. And at the same time the only two pleasures. Herrmann has freeze-dried food in bags that he can simply pour hot water into. The rations are calculated for 80 days, 3500 calories per day are estimated. In the cold of the Southern Ocean, the sailors need around 4,000 calories, in warmer climes only around 3,000. Because a pressure cooker is also part of the equipment, Herrmann can also prepare pasta or pancakes.
And how do you sleep then?
With headphones to filter out the noise and a sleep mask over the eyes. For Herrmann, a mattress was tailored precisely to his body. This means it stays relatively still, even if the boat is shaken. So a comfortable bed? “It’s more like a coffin,” Harris says.
How much sleep do you get?
The key is to find out how long your own sleep cycle lasts. This is different for every person; the phase usually lasts between one and a half and two hours. Then 30 minutes are enough to recharge your batteries, says Will Harris. Herrmann sleeps for 20 or 25 minutes before waking up and checking the sails and course again. It usually takes a week for the body to get used to this rhythm. On a good day, you can get up to six hours of sleep. On bad ones: not a second.
What is considered the greatest danger to sailors?
What all skippers fear are collisions that will tear a hole in the boat. So-called UFOs (unidentified floating objects) that swim in the water. “This is a real danger,” says Will Harris. Not only because such a collision can tear a hole in the boat and then water can get in. But also because the skipper can be thrown through the boat. Boris Herrmann therefore wears a type of rugby helmet to protect his head in harsh conditions. When carrying out repairs on deck, the sailors put on a leash and wear life jackets; in an emergency there is a survival suit that keeps them dry in the water.
What obstacles lurk in the water?
Containers lost from ships. Abandoned fishing nets. And of course whales. Herrmann’s ship is therefore also equipped with a whale pinger, which is attached to the keel and announces the large mammals with high-frequency sounds. But: “We don’t know whether this will work at all,” says Will Harris. In addition, a camera monitors the sea, which is supposed to detect objects floating underwater with AI support. After all: From The participants of the Vendée Globe have so far been spared the mysterious Ocra attacks that occurred again and again in the summer.
And if the boat sinks?
For the sailors there is a survival suit and two rescue capsules, which are stored in small boxes, one in the front bow and one in the stern of the boat. All you have to do is throw them into the water and they will inflate themselves. Provisions, flares and communication devices are in the lifeboat. But: “You don’t want to sit in something like that in the Arctic Ocean,” says Harris. Because of the cold, a sailor had to be rescued within 24 hours. After that, the chances of survival decrease rapidly.
Then who can come to the rescue?
It is usually the competitors who then become saviors. Like in 2021, when Kevin Escovier’s ship fell apart. His last message: “I’m sinking, I’m not joking. MAYDAY.” After an eleven-hour search, in which Boris Herrmann also took part, the searchers discovered Escovier’s escape capsule between the waves. The skippers involved receive time credit for such activities. However, there were also incidents that did not end so happily.
What happens in a medical emergency?
In emergencies, sailors can contact a racing doctor who can give advice. Legendary: In 1992, the Frenchman Bertrand de Broc sewed his own tongue under supervision. However, with more serious injuries there is only one thing that can help: wait for rescue.
What does that do to your head?
This can be quite challenging. “Knowing that you are completely alone and that any rescue is far away – you have to get over that thought when sailing in the Southern Ocean,” says Will Harris. At “Point Nemo”, a spot in the middle of nowhere in the South Pacific, the sailors are closer to the astronauts of the ISS space station than to the mainland.
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