Henrik Masekowitz started yesterday morning, on perhaps his most difficult journey. Because it's "only" going back from Cape Town to Brittany. No longer non-stop around the world like at the beginning of his record attempt, which failed shortly before Christmas due to a broken ankle.
So there is no fame waiting at the end, no entry in the history book of German deep-sea sailing - a reliability, no more record voyage. And yet it is a show of strength, because Masekowitz is taking the uncomfortable path: He is now sailing alone again, where nothing is at stake. That demands respect, because he would certainly have been able to find paying fellow sailors. But that's not his thing.
His boat lay in Cape Town for more than two months while the solo skipper walked on crutches at home. But now he is fit again and his "Croix du Sud" is under sail. She had a beard on the water pass when Henrik Masekowitz went on board a week ago to get her ready for the return transfer - no wonder after the long layover.
Before he finally set sail to the northwest, Masekowitz sailed a short stage along the South African west coast to Saldanha, the alternative port in case he hadn't found a place in Cape Town. Also on board were the harbor master and a helper who had taken care of the boat in the absence of the hamburger - a kind of thank you trip for the great support that the skipper received on site.
Northwest course: Henrik Masekowitz sails back from Cape Town
The start is of course slow because Masekowitz is hanging in a light wind area. He is currently only logging four to six knots of speed - and will be reminded of the period of calm off the Spanish coast that slowed him down on the way there. If you want to follow it online, you can call up the Yellowbrick tracker in the YACHT-online-Spezial, which is updated four times a day. The hamburger also sends messages on the go, which we publish here. YACHT tv shows an interview with Masekowitz at the end of the week, in which he talks about his accident and the task. He also talks about his further plans in it
So much can already be revealed: He wants to try again non-stop, probably in autumn. And he will probably not be alone, because Jan Hamester is also planning a one-hand lap around the world with his Class 40.