“BACK TO FULL THROTTLE SOON” – BORIS HERRMANN TO BENEFIT FROM NORTHERN ROUTE IN NEW YORK VENDÉE
Following a strategic move in the New York Vendée race, Team Malizia’s skipper Boris Herrmann is expected to soon gain advantages from his decision. Eight days into the race, the German solo sailor is getting closer to the stronger winds and downwind conditions he’s been chasing by going north, promising an exciting race until the finish.
It has certainly been a decision that got the IMOCA racing scene talking: Team Malizia’s skipper Boris Herrmann surprised many by opting for a very northern route in the New York Vendée race. He and Charlie Dalin had managed to escape and leave the rest of the fleet behind, and, as the two were at about equal distance from the finish in Les Sables d’Olonne, Boris Herrmann headed straight north, while Charlie Dalin continued east.
“For me, it is not gambling”, said the Malizia – Seaexplorer skipper, racing 3,200 nautical miles solo against 27 competitors. “I made the most informed decision I could with the tools I have. I spent a lot of time on Adrena looking at options, and at some stage, you have to make the call. There were a couple of risks attached to this route, namely crossing the high pressure and later near the Irish coast. But at the same time, my instinct was to go this way because, with the uncertainty we have seen on the weather models, I was not feeling ready to invest straight into the east the way Charlie did.”
