ON B ] ARD
HelloMonaco : Pierre , when did the partnership between you and Boris begin ?
© Yacht Club de Monaco
Pierre Casiraghi : Our first meeting was in South Africa in 2014 , on the occasion of the Cape2Rio challenge . Giovanni Soldini and the Team weren ’ t on board the vessel yet and Boris was fixing some electronic cables , so I helped him with his tasks . Then we tackled that important regatta in extreme conditions , being able to establish quickly a record which still lasts today . After this successful outcome , we stayed in touch as friends and companions in other races . I still have great memories of our first experience at the 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race . I had a little training from Boris who by then had a little more experience . We had a great result achieving third place . I always remember the message we received from veteran Jean-Pierre Dick who was so amazed and couldn ’ t imagine we would chase him right to the approach of the finish line .
: Boris , what do you appreciate most about Pierre ?
Boris Herrmann : We have definitely a friendly feeling and we shared fun and success together sailing across the oceans . Before meeting him , I didn ’ t know anything about Pierre and the Principality of Monaco . I was just working in the team of Soldini and I met him by chance . What followed took place in a completely natural way . We invited each other on a series of different trips in our agendas , like the Palermo Montecarlo . Soon after , Pierre launched for the first time the idea of taking part in the Vendée Globe as a future target , almost a wish at that time . We were lucky enough to achieve a constant winning result . And my participation this year was a teenager ’ s dream come true .
: Pierre , how did you create the Team ?
PC : The Team is the result of a long-term complex evolution and also we ourselves have improved . Of course , nothing was programmed because we don ’ t have to follow a manual but to adapt to current needs . There are usually from four to eight collaborators or even more , including volunteers and friends , on special occasions . The main idea is to unite everyone around a common proactive spirit . Boris is not only playing the role of skipper but he deals with many aspects , including the choice of
Boris Herrmann and Pierre Casiraghi special guests at the Monaco Ocean Week
materials and logistics . To be ready for the Vendée Globe , he had been preparing for six years in order to know every single detail of the sailing craft . This is a great job which eventually becomes an advantage in such a knockout race .
‘ Yacht Club de Monaco ‘ s support allowed us to start early , trying out the vessel and facing every kind of problem .’
Boris Herrmann
: Boris , you have been testing the vessel for a long time , did it help you ?
BH : This is a technical and practical sport supported now by digital devices . But in the end , it is just you and the natural elements of the sea for almost three months . So , the more you are trained the more you can check everything is working well . Yacht Club de Monaco ‘ s support allowed us to start early , trying out the vessel and facing every kind of problem . All this has kept the sailing boat in good conditions up to a few hours before the arrival . The whole race was a struggle and the test was harder than expected especially crossing hotspots like Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope . Then , being there in constant communication with the entire team and keeping a top-ten position was already an important achievement . From another point of view , I had food reserves for eighty days and luckily it worked perfectly well . Though rarely , there was any real moment of tranquillity to enjoy eating or sleeping since the boat routine needs you constantly .
: Boris , how did you manage to confront every day mentally ?
BH : Well , you had no choice to act differently . ‘ One day at the time ’ was for me the real motto of this long-lasting challenge that is much more than a race .
: Boris , have you noticed a lot of changes in the ocean ecosystem this year ?
BH : In all challenges , we witnessed something changing on a global scale that influenced the length of the journey . What is striking is the abnormal spread of Sargassum algae from the Canary Islands ( Equator ) up to Northern Atlantic Ocean . But the biggest unseen shift is the one of the increase of temperature and water acidification due to CO 2 concentrations . For this purpose , we decided to put a laboratory on board to collect information on the ocean surface through a fully automated high-tech machine , called Ocean Lab , which separates carbon dioxide from the water . The biggest problem to overcome was the energy supply through shipboard solar panels for all the equipment taken .
: Pierre , can you tell us something about the scientific side of the Vendée Globe mission ?
PC : The world challenge route included places that are little navigated where nobody has got data from before . Furthermore , different latitudes could provide a large amount of knowledge that helps draw more far-reaching conclusions so that the evidence gathered constitutes a valuable source for science and research .
72 / Hello Monaco Spring 2021 www . hellomonaco . com