HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Mark Lloyd/Lloyd Images/Alex Thomson Racing.
Andy Meiklejohn and Wouter Verbraak on board HUGO BOSS passing through Cook Strait, New Zealand. Image copyright Chris Cameron/DPPI/Barcelona World Race.
by Anne Hinton
Since we wrote about HUGO BOSS soon after the Barcelona World Race start in January, Andy Meiklejohn (NZL) and Wouter Verbraak (NED) on board have had to deal with a delaminating mainsail halfway down the Atlantic Ocean outward bound, the main track pulling out of the mast the following week (meaning that they could not hoist the mainsail above the first reef) and the pump on the generator going (for which they had to effect a temporary repair in the south en route to New Zealand).
Video of the initial mainsail repairs in the Atlantic south-bound on board HUGO BOSS:
Believing in the spirit of the race as "double-handed, non-stop", Meiklejohn and Verbraak continued past a natural stopping point in Wellington, New Zealand, only to go through the ravages of the ex-tropical cyclone Atu, confused seas and a considerable amount of heavy air upwind sailing, on a longer route, further north than usual, thanks to the safety ice gates imposed by race organisers. A final squally sequence, complete with snow storms and hail stones the size of golf balls, saw them arrive at Cape Horn with four foresails delaminating and out of use (see article in Dutch by Diana Bogaards on sailreport.nl), while they had already used up nearly all their sail repair kit on the mainsail, which now also needed further attention, in the Atlantic Ocean.
HUGO BOSS fashion in the Southern Ocean: Andy Meiklejohn sports his "bowling ball" look in the Southern Ocean. Image copyright Wouter Verbraak/Alex Thomson Racing.
Falklands Pit Stop
An attempt at hand-stitching the sails in Adventure Sound in the Falkland Islands led to the realisation that there was more work than they had materials to deal with, so reinforcements needed to be called in, and the HUGO BOSS duo had to relent on their ideal of sailing unaided "non-stop, just the two of us together", as Verbraak put it, in order to gain assistance from Doyles (New Zealand) in Port Stanley, and allow Meiklejohn and Ross Daniel (technical director of Alex Thomson Racing) to fix the main track and generator on the boat. The problem with the sails was a manufacturing flaw in the material, with use of the wrong type of glue leading to delamination throughout the sail wardrobe of the boat.
Wouter Verbraak effecting sail repairs on board HUGO BOSS in Adventure Sound, the Falklands. Image copyright Andy Meiklejohn/Alex Thomson Racing.
Andy Meiklejohn during sail repairs on board HUGO BOSS in Adventure Sound, the Falklands. Image copyright Wouter Verbraak/Alex Thomson Racing.
The Falklands clearly grew on the twosome, with Verbraak initially forced to dive into the chilly 11C waters to resolve issues of kelp with the anchor in Adventure Sound. Meiklejohn noticed, as they attempted to repair the sails, that "The wild life was amazing. Flocks of geese [were] on the water all around us. A frisky pair of dolphins chased each other around the boat in some mating ritual. Overhead, diving birds were a constant sight and in the distant bays you could see whales blowing! It’s incredible looking at the barren hills and lack of human life to think just 25 yrs ago the place was torn to pieces by a bloody war. The evidence is still there on the C-map charts with "EXPLOSIVES" marked all around the place."
Andy Meiklejohn on board HUGO BOSS in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. Image copyright Wouter Verbraak/Alex Thomson Racing.
In Port Stanley, the Falklanders took Meiklejohn and Verbraak into their homes, and assisted them as best they could with making facilities available for the necessary repairs to HUGO BOSS. "It has been fantastic, the locals have been so nice, the first couple of nights we were billeted with a local woman [known as "mother"] who cooked us some great meals and it was kind of like being at home. It’s like that. A lot of people have arrived here on boats for a short stop and 30 years later are still here. So we would [rather not] stay here any longer, but it is a lovely place," said Meiklejohn.
"The remote islands of the Falklands are proving to be very welcoming. The local community can’t do enough for us, and is helping out in every way they can. Friday, two sail makers from Doyles New Zealand arrived, and they have worked through the nights on the sails. They have the local gym hall/dance hall/wedding location to their disposal... We have to get the work done and get going again," said Verbraak during their stay in the islands.
HUGO BOSS leaving Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. Image copyright Alex Thomson Racing.
Now that HUGO BOSS is charging up the Atlantic once more at, or very close to 100%, the fastest in the fleet by far the last two days, and leaving her nearest rivals behind as though they are standing still. "All systems and sails 100%, so can properly race the boat; nice feeling!" as Verbraak put it.
The Sailors' Perspective
What is the perspective of the sailors themselves on the race, the issues they have encountered, lessons learnt, and outlook for the future? We caught up with Andy Meiklejohn and Wouter Verbraak just after they left the Falklands...
Andy Meiklejohn and Wouter Verbraak first sailed together back in 2004 on the 77 foot IMS maxi Black Dragon, owned by German entrepreneur Dr. Otto Happel, with Verbraak as navigator and Meiklejohn working the bow. "This project gave a bunch of young and upcoming guys the opportunity to race a maxi in the Mediterranean Grand Prix circuit. A chance we both grabbed!" said Verbraak.
Andy Meiklejohn on board HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Wouter Verbraak/Alex Thomson Racing.
Andy Meiklejohn on board HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Wouter Verbraak/Alex Thomson Racing.
"I had sailed with Alex [Thomson] many years ago and also helped him and Capey [Andrew Cape] prepare for the 2007 Barcelona World Race", said Meiklejohn, concerning his involvement in the current project. "Alex and Andy engaged me to work on strategy and weather in the lead-up to the Barcelona World Race. We also did some routing preparations in November and made sure I jumped through all the hoops necessary to qualify as a substitute skipper, so I was already prepared to be on board if necessary," said Verbraak. However, Verbraak had been in training for a skiing marathon event in Norway immediately prior to jumping on board in Barcelona last December, so was already well slimmed down and without the reserves of body fat that a sailor might normally take into a round the world race.
Meiklejohn and Verbraak had not sailed the boat alone together before the race start, but "I did some sailing with HUGO BOSS in the UK when I met the team. Prior to this I sailed [the IMOCA 60] Estrella Damm to a third place in the Round Europe last year, and in the last ten years I have worked with numerous Open 60s in the Route du Rhum and Transat Jacques Vabre, providing weather routing," said Verbraak. "With all the commitments to Hugo Boss, Alex's and my time together had also been limited," said Meiklejon. "We [Wouter and me] have both sailed these boats before, so there was an easy natural pattern," he commented.
"We have quite complementary skills with our different backgrounds [Verbraak is a trained meteorologist, and Meiklejohn's background is as a rigger]," pointed out Verbraak. "The obvious choice was for me to focus on strategy and performance, and for Andy to look after the systems on board. As the race progresses, we are overlapping each other more and more, sharing responsibilities and improving our sailing skills.
HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Alex Thomson Racing.
HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Alex Thomson Racing.
"The watch system has settled down to doing all manoeuvres apart from reefs together, and then giving the other person three hours to sleep. When things are hectic we switch to two hours of sleep. With squalls we are on standby in our sailing gear just inside the door, ready to jump on deck at any time if necessary."
"In choosing a substitute, we had made sure that there were complementary skills so Wouter naturally looked after Nav. and strategy with me looking after the sailing and sail calls and mechanics," said Meiklejohn.
Teamwork in short-handed sailing, and lessons learned
Andy Meiklejohn and Wouter Verbraak on board HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Andy Meiklejohn/Alex Thomson Racing.
This is both Meiklejohn's and Verbraak's first short-handed race. "Not ideal preparation, but we made do," commented Meiklejohn. Verbraak noted the differences with crewed ocean racing: "The big difference is that you get to do all tasks on the boat. As a navigator I generally get to do very little trimming and driving, and only give a hand on the bow. Here we have to take on everything, and so I get my ears washed on the bow, and hang on for dear life at the wheel through 40 knot snow storms. I thoroughly enjoy the big learning curve and having to do all tasks as it gives me a bigger picture of racing these extreme machines which will be very beneficial in a future role as skipper of a Volvo team."
HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Alex Thomson Racing.
HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Gustav Morin.
Verbraak noted a number of points needed to sail well together as a two-man team earlier in the race ["Some things we are learning"]. After more than two and a half months of sailing alone together, more than two-thirds of the way around the world, what do he and Meiklejohn feel are the necessary ingredients for a two-man crew sailing non-stop around the world to work well together?
"They must have complementary skills and personality but also be able to share a joke or pick the other one up when needed," said Meiklejohn. "Work hard on the team spirit and trust so you have a solid basis to dare to challenge each other. Only when you trust and respect each other can you have constructive conflict which is necessary to get to the next level; find new ways, improve every day," said Verbraak.
"The race is all about balance and compromise. Doing what you need to when you need to is short term but if this is balanced with a big picture view of pushing and resting you can form a workable long lasting pattern," commented Meiklejohn.
Andy Meiklejohn on board HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Wouter Verbraak/Alex Thomson Racing.
"Sailing these boats you have to be extremely disciplined and thorough looking after the basic requirements to be able to sail the boat for 100 days: water, full batteries, no chafe on sails and sheets, and two crew who are fit, alert and focused. Certainly we drain our resources at times to the very extremes, but you can only do this for a limited period of time. We therefore try to give each other as much sleep as we can and focus on making good sail calls, following a solid strategy and sailing the boat everyday a bit better," said Verbraak.
"We have both realized how much better the world looks with a few hours sleep
and a hot meal! Everything can be solved by people who are willing to learn and move forward," said Meiklejohn.
HUGO BOSS passes through Cook Strait, New Zealand. Image copyright Chris Cameron/DPPI/Barcelona World Race.
Andy Meiklejohn and Wouter Verbraak on board HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Chris Cameron/DPPI/Barcelona World Race.
Andy Meiklejohn and Wouter Verbraak on board HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Chris Cameron/DPPI/Barcelona World Race.
Andy Meiklejohn and Wouter Verbraak on board HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Chris Cameron/DPPI/Barcelona World Race.
Andy Meiklejohn and Wouter Verbraak on board HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Chris Cameron/DPPI/Barcelona World Race.
"The main issues have been the mast track, generator and sails. All these are teething problems after the big refit last year, and we are confident that they are now solved for the remainder of the race," Verbraak indicated. "The co-operation with the shore team and suppliers is key. In all issues the shore team has worked together with the supplier in testing different solutions and providing us with the best solution possible."
Wouter Verbraak on board HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Andy Meiklejohn/Alex Thomson Racing.
Wouter Verbraak on HUGO BOSS, heading out for the start of the Barcelona World Race. Image copyright Alex Thomson Racing.
There has been frequent comment as to the "unexpected" weather conditions encountered during the race. The Juan Kouyoumdjian designed IMOCA 60 HUGO BOSS is set up as a heavy airs downwind flyer, so should be ideally suited for "typical" Southern Ocean conditions. "Due to the northern position of the ice gates the race has been quite different then anticipated with more upwind, light wind transitions and reaching than then usual downwind ride through the southern ocean," commented Verbraak. "Currently on our way up the Atlantic, the weather is rather turbulent with lots of small lows, and very weak Trade winds."
"The Southern Ocean leg to Cape Horn proved to be tough," said Meiklejohn, "as we slipped behind a low that the next group stayed in front of meaning they had warmer temperatures, better sea conditions and more stable winds. We lost a lot of miles and never had a chance to close them back."
HUGO BOSS passes through Cook Strait, New Zealand. Image copyright Chris Cameron/DPPI/Barcelona World Race.
Andy Meiklejohn on board HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Wouter Verbraak/Alex Thomson Racing.
Wouter Verbraak on board HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Andy Meiklejohn/Alex Thomson Racing.
What will they both bring out of participation together in this race on board HUGO BOSS?
"Absolutely a better understanding of how I interact on a 1:1 basis and how I am able to influence the mood onboard," said Meiklejohn.
"This has been by far the biggest challenge in my life, both sailing and personal. We have gone through a huge learning curve, and will both take out a much better overall view of sailing a high performance boat around the world. The big thing is the mental game; it is a lot about motivation, and keeping positive!" is Verbraak's perspective.
Future plans
Wouter Verbraak (left) and Andy Meiklejohn, in Barcelona. Image copyright Alex Thomson Racing.
HUGO BOSS in Barcelona. Image copyright Alex Thomson Racing.
Looking to the future, Alex Thomson Racing will sail their other boat, HUGO BOSS 2, in the IMOCA racing around Europe this summer, but what are the plans of Meiklejohn and Verbraak after spending over three months at sea in a double-handed around the world race?
"I would like to do more of this type of sailing but also the next Volvo Ocean Race," said Andy Meiklejohn (who has previously sailed the Volvo on Brasil 1). "For now I will be doing some more Maxi boat sailing in Europe."
"My long-term goal is to skipper a successful Volvo Ocean Race project. Certainly on the way there will be lots more ocean racing, both crewed and short-handed. Short-handed is a good way to make sure you first learn how to be responsible for yourself, before you take on the huge responsibility of skippering a crew of ten," commented Wouter Verbraak. Verbraak's experience with the last Volvo Ocean Race was as navigator for Team Russia, then he transferred to Delta Lloyd, moved to Green Dragon, as stand-in navigator for Ian Moore, when Delta Lloyd missed a leg, and back to Delta Lloyd again for the race conclusion.
Andy Meiklejohn on board HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Wouter Verbraak/Alex Thomson Racing.
Wouter Verbraak. Image copyright Alex Thomson Racing.
A big shame that technical issues with the boat have thwarted a potentially far higher placing in the Barcelona World Race 2010-11 for Andy Meiklejohn and Wouter Verbraak on board HUGO BOSS, but they have both learnt a lot and taken positives from their experiences and will, for sure, be forces to be reckoned with in their own right for the remainder of this race, and in future around the world racing, both short-handed and fully crewed. Their goal is now to be back in Barcelona before Easter, which will enable Wouter Verbraak to go skiing again this season, back home in Norway.
HUGO BOSS has consistently been the fastest IMOCA 60 in the Barcelona World Race fleet the last few days, since the technical issues on board were rectified with the Falklands pit stop, and is finally showing her true potential, late in the race.
Andy Meiklejohn
Wouter Verbraak
Alex Thomson Racing
Barcelona World Race
