Boris Herrmann seventh after Caribbean thriller
Boris Herrmann and Will Harris finished seventh in the 16th Transat Jacques Vabre. Despite a furious race to catch up on the last night at sea, Team Malizia was overtaken by the Swiss Justine Mettraux with Julien Villion on "Teamwork.net" in Sunday's final off Martinique's famous Diamond Rock. The mixed team had opted for a tough storm race in the north, while the majority of the fleet headed for the Caribbean on a more southerly Atlantic course in more pleasant trade winds. The extreme decision, which Boris Herrmann described as "impressive and courageous", paid off in the end for Mettraux/Villion in the duel with Team Malizia for sixth place.
Nevertheless, Boris Herrmann was positive in his assessment: "It was an epic final! We fought neck and neck with three other boats right to the end." After twelfth place at his Transat premiere in 2019, Boris Herrmann and Will Harris finished in the top ten this time. They reached the finish line around eleven and a half hours behind the victorious French "For People". "Malizia - Seaexplorer" completed the 5319 nautical miles from Le Havre to Martinique in 12 days, 9 hours, 1 minute and 3 seconds. Herrmann and Harris crossed the finish line at 18:31 German time, just 1 minute and 5 seconds after "Teamwork.net".
The 42-year-old Boris Herrmann has one and a half weeks in the Caribbean to prepare for the solo return race Retour à la Base starting on November 30. Although the five-time circumnavigator is already qualified for his second non-stop round the world race, unlike many of his competitors who need this return race to qualify for the Vendée Globe 2024/2025, the Hamburg native wants to use the solo race to Lorient in France to prepare. "I want to see where I stand and how I can get back into single-handed sailing," said Herrmann.
Boris Herrmann and Will Harris participated in the thrilling Sailing competition, the 16th Transat Jacques Vabre, where they finished in seventh position. Despite their brave attempt to overtake Justine Mettraux and Julien Villion's "Teamwork.net" during the final stages of the race, they were unable to secure a higher position.
Source: www.dpa.com
