Challenges that I over-come in every race
Anyone who can master the Atlantic solo on a small sailing boat over several days and find the best route along the west coast of France and across the Atlantic to the Caribbean using only basic navigation tools, must be exceptionally skilled in many areas.
CHALLENGE
SLEEP
My sleep experts:
‘Thank you – to my experts at Barmelweid.’
‘In addition to the certainty that I will be able to rest well in the future, I have gained a lot of knowledge about sleep and my sleep rhythm.’
My sleep, or rather my sleep management, is another major challenge. When you are sleep deprived, you eventually run out of energy – you make bad decisions, you can no longer gauge your actions accurately, and you suddenly find yourself unable to make decisions. In short, you get pushed to your limit. I am someone who always wants to have everything under control for safety reasons. A collision with another ship, invisible rocks, the seabed or a whale can mean immediate elimination from the race and even danger to life. In order to perform as well as possible, I constantly anticipate changes in weather, wind and waves and respond to them in a controlled manner. The desire for sleep teaches me to relinquish control. I have managed to maintain my concentration and pace myself with the absolute minimum of sleep. To achieve my optimum in this regard, I work with the sleep specialists at the Barmelweid Clinic in Aargau. They have tested and analysed my sleep cycle.
Three important tests at the Barmelweid Clinic:
SLEEP DEPROVATION
POWER NAPS
NORMAL SLEEP
I had to fill out a standardised questionnaire to test my sleep type and spend an initial standardised night at the clinic, where my normal sleep was tested. This involved determining the exact length of my sleep cycle and my sleeping habits. This was followed by reaction tests to assess how I wake up.
SLEEP DEPRIVATION
I had to stay awake until 6 a.m. and then sleep to test my reaction to sleep deprivation. Afterwards, reaction tests were used until 3 p.m. to determine when I would become tired again.
POWER NAPS
One night of simulated power naps, interspersed with periods of wakefulness, to test when I sleep well, when I don’t, and how many of these intervals I need to function optimally.
Thanks to the tests, I know more about my biological clock
I now know that I function best when I sleep for four to five hours at midnight and then again after lunch from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. In between, I get up briefly to check on the boat. This means I need to sleep in stages, but there is no other way. For longer races, say three days or more, I need at least five hours of cumulative sleep. The longer and more consistently I can stay at the helm, the better I perform. On the other hand, my performance declines as fatigue increases. Finding a balance here is the challenge. It i’s sometimes hard and, often a big challenge, but always an enrichment that helps me grow – not only as a sailor but also as a person.
CHALLENGE
LOGISTICS
My logistics experts:
‘Without your support, I’d still be stuck in the harbour today.’
‘In order for me to cross the starting line on race day, I have to put together countless pieces of the puzzle, from registering as a participant to filling up the water canisters.’
However, as we have to be prepared for material failure or collisions at any time, and a certain amount of safety equipment is required by the race organisers, optimising the material is a key element of success. Everything that is to be taken on board is calculated, coordinated and measured: food, drinks, emergency kits, toilet paper.
Having less weight to move during each sailing manoeuvre saves a considerable amount of energy. In races lasting more than two weeks, these individual gains in time and energy add up to a significant amount and can even influence the final ranking.
It is therefore important to me to have examined and be familiar with the equipment on board in detail. This gives me the confidence that I am optimally prepared.
Weight optimisation – every gram counts
A successful offshore sailor once said: ‘Any item that does not fulfil at least two functions does not belong on board.’
Sailing ships travel faster when they are lighter. More weight means that the boat sits lower in the water and creates more drag. That is the reason why regatta sailors are keen to carry as little material as possible. As an example, my A3-sized chart table is made of a two-millimetre-thick carbon plate, which I can also use to repair a ship’s side in an emergency. And the selfie stick can also be used as a rudder joint in an emergency.
CHALLENGE
SAILING TECHNIQUE
My sailing coaches:
‘Your experience makes me better and more confident.’
‘Sailing is a technical sport. Physics, sail setting, on-board technology – my knowledge of these things is just as crucial during in a race as the ability to repair a torn sail and treat a cut on my hand myself.’
Compared to Olympic sailing, we are not concerned with perfect manoeuvres or maximum speed. The art of ocean racing lies in generating the highest possible average speed over several days and performing ergonomic and safe manoeuvres that cost as little speed as possible. During training, we compare the sail settings, weight distribution and interaction with the autopilot. The aim is to find the configuration that requires as little energy as possible for sailing and allows fast sailing, even when extremely tired. Markers on the ropes help to find the best sail setting as quickly and efficiently as possible at different angles to the wind and wind speeds. These markers give me the confidence to set the sails optimally in every situation and to have a working basis.
I am a mechanical engineer and, as a scientist, I am naturally interested in the technical side of my boat. I know how, what and why things work. Like myself, I constantly try to improve my boat. I like to tinker, collect data, analyse and evaluate. But I also have a very emotional relationship with my boat. It is my most important partner. I exchange ideas with it and even talk to it. We motivate and trust each other.
CHALLENGE
NUTRITION
My nutritionist:
‘Where would I be without my nutritionist?’
‘Food isn’t just a source of energy. Taste, texture, smell, aroma – everything affects your mood. Especially in my little nutshell on the Atlantic.’
To ensure I am in the best possible shape in terms of nutrition and energy balance, I have sought advice from a nutritionist. I also coordinate my meal plan for the race with him. My daily food rations are packed into bags. My menu includes freeze-dried food, sardines, olives, fruit, apple sauce, energy bars, dark chocolate and chocolate M&Ms for my mental well-being. I eat three hot meals a day in the form of freeze-dried food, which I prepare by pouring hot water over them from a kettle, known as a Jetboil. As I use up a relatively large amount of energy at sea, I replenish my reserves with 5000-6000 calories every day. On land, my energy consumption is significantly lower, as I naturally sleep more. At sea, it is essential to eat in such a way that energy levels can be kept as constant as possible throughout the day. Dried fruit and nut mixes, aka tutti frutti, help me with this in particular.
CHALLENGE
FITNESS
My fitness experts:
‘I owe this to your specific training programmes and the team at Balgrist.’
‘Even though the opportunities for exercise are limited on a ship, good fitness and core stability are essential for coping with the forces at work on board and performing the last manoeuvre cleanly even after 14 days.’
CHALLENGE
WEATHER
My weather expert:
‘His experience helps me reach my goal faster.’
‘For me, they were initially clouds above me, mostly picturesque, sometimes dark. Today, they are part of my strategy on the chessboard that is the ocean.’
When I’m underway, I only concern myself with the cycle of nature: day, night, the wind as it grows stronger and weaker. That is my rhythm. I have respect for thunderstorms, but I’m not afraid of them. I feel safe on the ship. Once, a black wall built up in front of me within a quarter of an hour. You only have a short time span to decide whether to lower the sails – I trust my trained intuition.
Barometer
Certain weather phenomena have their own typical pressure patterns when they pass over you. The current pressure can also help you orientate yourself within the weather system.
Cloud reading
Each system has its own associated cloud pattern, depending on location, wind speed and direction.
Time
Certain weather phenomena have their own day and night rhythms, which can be determined at specific times of day.
I do most of my weather analysis before the start. Routing tools, combined with weather models and the decision-making support of a meteorologist, help to calculate the optimal route. I therefore consider various strategies for possible scenarios so that I can make quick decisions in the relevant situations. To win a race, finishing is the basic requirement. It is therefore crucial to assess the weather situation correctly and to slow down in certain situations so as not to put too much strain on the boat. Finding the right balance when you are tired and under the pressure of racing is challenging. Dealing with stressful situations is a big challenge: it is important to get back into the rhythm of the race as quickly as possible.
CHALLENGE
MENTALE STRENGTH
My mental coach
‘She helps me enormously.’
‘I came to the first meeting with a very scientific idea and abstract expectations. In fact , I learned practical applications for all areas of my life, such as timing when it comes to nutrition and dealing with relationships.’
How can I weigh up strategic risks? How do I deal with emergencies: when am I in the race, when is it a matter of life and death? How do I anticipate this situation? How do I deal with equipment failure? How do I avoid becoming demotivated despite disappointment even when I am tired? What tools do I have to get out of emotional lows or better yet, not fall into them in the first place despite bitter setbacks? How do I deal with being alone?