We Will See The Circumnavigation In 60 Days

One man, two Bengalos: Boris Herrmann is beaming

He only switched his German mobile phone back on one day after arriving at the finish and is still a long way from reading the many congratulations, messages and inquiries. While Boris Herrmann enjoys the hustle and bustle of the Vendée Globe's destination port, encounters with other participants and reunions with family and friends, there is hardly a daily newspaper at home in Germany on the day after crossing the finish line that is not detailed and often too on the cover reports on his achievements, his great adventure and the Vendée Globe.

The first Vendée Globe skipper from Germany made its debut

The ZDF has also changed its program for the coming Sunday and is showing a 45-minute documentary about Boris Herrmann and the Vendée Globe in the "ZDF Sportreportage - extra" from 5.10 pm. In Hamburg, Niels Annen, Minister of State in the Foreign Office, suggested Boris Herrmann for the State Chancellery Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany to propose. Annen told the Hamburger Abendblatt: "Boris Herrmann is not just an exceptional athlete. He takes his responsibility and role model function, especially towards the younger generation, very seriously outside of sport."

How the "Seaexplorer - Yacht Club de Monaco" skipper experienced the end of his great adventure

In an exclusive interview with YACHT online and at a first press conference with German journalists, Boris Herrmann answered many questions the day after his arrival in the port of departure and destination of the Vendée Globe. Read here excerpts from the 39-year-old skipper of the "Seaexplorer - Yacht Club de Monaco" on current topics:

Arrived and happy: Boris Herrmann in Les Sables-d'Olonne

To the longed-for arrival at the end of the Vendée Globe premiere:

I was full of energy and very, very happy! You register a lot. That's the power of sport to create such joy. The first to come on board were the technical crew while at sea. There was a corona protocol that limited the number to five. My friend and team founder Pierre Casiraghi was there too. And our Boat Captain Stuart McLachlan. We hugged very much. It's a team success, so it's your success as well as mine. Everyone put in so much time and energy. Stuart hasn't seen his family for almost a year because he couldn't come back during Corona times. The whole team has invested a lot. Then hugging each other is special. My wife wasn't outside in three meter waves. She stayed on the jetty with our baby and came on board after mooring. I take off my hat to her. For a young mother who takes care of the baby alone in Corona times, there are many parallels to my challenge: interrupted nights, lack of sleep, uncertainties.

First work, then pleasure: Boris Herrmann shared both with his team

Boris Herrman with his wife Birte Lorenzen-Herrmann and daughter Marie-Louise

About the missed podium as a result of the collision on the last evening at sea:

The day I arrived was a happy day. The emotions will stay in me for a long time. I didn't think about the collision at all. I only do that when asked. Before the collision, anything was possible for me in the end, including victory. In the final phase there was a relatively flat, organized wave in which my ship could navigate well. That was the big turbo for me. I have been consistently faster than the calculations over the past two days, Charlie Dalin a bit slower. The fact that Jean Le Cam pushed me out of fourth place is not so relevant. Originally the top ten was my goal, the top five my secret dream. I did it. I have a lot of respect for Jean. He showed us how to sail in the South Seas. He demonstrated: Hey, I'm 61 and now I'll show the boys how to do it. He's a huge guy. It also shows that sailing doesn't have to be a brutal show of strength. You have to be smart and smart. It's great how Jean shows what sailing experience can do. It's great to see that you can sail at such a high level into old age. Jean is an inspiration.

About his opponents and companions:

I had a good exchange with a few sailors during the regatta. The decisive factors were Yannick Bestaven, Damien Seguin and Giancarlo Pedote. Nobody can better imagine what we went through. That creates a great closeness. Charlie Dalin is a great sailing hero to me. He was always very cautious before the race. There was never a great closeness before. Yesterday when we arrived it was much more personal. That meant a lot to me. He is definitely one of the best sailors of this generation.

Boris Herrmann after finishing his Vendé Globe premiere with "Groupe Apicil" skipper Damien Seguin

About the first night ashore in 2021:

We sat and celebrated with friends. That was really nice. At some point I fell asleep comatose at our little coffee table in the house. It wasn't much more than two or three hours of sleep until our baby punched me in the back that morning. Which was also very, very nice.

On the transition from the free life at sea to the corona world with restrictions, masks and rules:

I already knew the Corona world from the time before my departure. Before the race I was completely isolated, excluded. I was almost paranoid before the trip. For me the loneliness had started two weeks before the race. I've even told people not to touch our dog. I just didn't want to risk being excluded from the Vendée Globe. Now, right after the trip, one thing is clear: I do not have Corona. It is a nice feeling not to be a danger to others.

On the proposal by State Secretary Niels Annen to propose him for the Federal Cross of Merit:

I am very pleased and honored. I only found out about it today. It is a good feeling when our work in the fight against climate change, our educational initiative for children and young people and our commitment to sport are perceived in such a positive way.

About a possible Vendée Globe comeback:

I can certainly imagine doing the Vendée Globe again. With the technological innovations and new builds in the Imoca class, the race remains a fascination. Of course I want to do that again someday. Only a few people in the history of the race saw a clear cut afterwards. There are only two reasons that would speak against a comeback: what has been achieved and experienced can either no longer be topped or were too traumatic. It wasn't traumatic for me, but it can be topped.

Boris Herrmann can imagine a Vendée Globe comeback

Regarding the plans for participating in The Ocean Race:

We have high hopes that The Ocean Race can take place. I can well imagine it. The race has been around longer than the Vendée Globe. It is also very fascinating as a team race. I hope we can manage to take part. We have a thirst for it. I also wouldn't rule out the possibility that we might take part with a Volvo 65. Of the twelve crew members, only three may then be older than 30. And you need a few people who know how to push the boat in certain conditions. Our basis remains the Imoca circuit. This is the most solid bank. With over 30 teams, the Imoca class is the strongest offshore class in the world.

About his Imoca yacht "Seaexplorer - Yacht Club de Monaco":

I will go there this afternoon. The damage isn't that bad. We got away with a black eye in the collision. It's a great ship, a good ship. It means a lot to our team. I'm so proud of this ship. It contains all of our love, tears, sweat and 15,000 hours of work. The boat is a technological marvel. What will happen to it is not yet entirely clear. It's for sale, we don't own it. The owner has allowed us to operate the boat. The agreement was always for four years. The boat belongs to Gerhard Senft, a real estate entrepreneur from Stuttgart. He's a fan of the Vendée Globe that I became friends with. You need someone to provide the ship. Maybe in the future it could also be a bank or another company.

About the development of the Imoca class boats:

It will move forward even more radically. Not much was missing for Thomas Ruyant and Charlie Dalin to show us an incredible performance. And we had bad luck with the weather at this edition. I am absolutely convinced that we will see a circumnavigation in 60 days. You could also see on my boat how I could approach others with intact foils. With the experience from this Vendée Globe one will look at new buildings. I'm back from the race with a book of ideas. That's so fascinating about our sport: people, nature and technology. How do we go on in the future? How do we implement the fascination of foiling in the Southern Ocean? If that succeeds, we will have the circumnavigation in 60 days.