His result is mediocre, but he is very happy about his arrival: Sailing professional Boris Herrmann has reached the destination of the Route du Rhum. The man from Hamburg completed the 3542 nautical mile long Transat classic from Saint-Malo in France across the Atlantic to Guadeloupe in 14 days, 15 hours, 21 minutes and 41 seconds. He reached the Caribbean port of destination Pointe-à-Pitre on Thursday night (local time). As 24th in the Imoca professional class, the 41-year-old was 2 days, 21 hours, 45 minutes and 16 seconds slower than winner Thomas Ruyant from France.

For the four-time circumnavigator Herrmann, the result in his first solo regatta after crossing the finish line at the Vendée Globe on January 28, 2021 only played a minor role. He has achieved his minimum goal in the ongoing optimization process of his still young new building with the race completed: qualifying for his second Vendée Globe start in 2024. Despite technical problems on board, this was achieved with the handbrake on in safety mode.

"I'm happy to have crossed the finish line. In the end it was long when you're quite far behind. It was the first time that I stayed far away from my sporting goals," said Herrmann. "At the same time, I said to myself that everything is fine. The main goal of qualifying for the Vendée Globe has been achieved." Herrmann wants to take part in the solo circumnavigation for the second time in two years.

For him, after the race is already before the race: Herrmann and his team Malizia will start in The Ocean Race off Alicante on January 15th. The team circumnavigation takes its participants around the world over six months and nine ports. On June 9, 2023, the Ocean Race fleet will pass the German "Sailing City" Kiel.

While Herrmann is flying home to Hamburg in the coming days to coordinate his team from there, a transfer crew is bringing the boat back from the Caribbean to Alicante in Spain. Boris Herrmann will arrive there after Christmas and New Year's Eve on the evening of January 1st. "In the Ocean Race we want to give everything and be there at full throttle," announced Herrmann.

12. Route du Rhum