Globe40: Burke/Fink crown gigantic race to catch up with 2nd place

Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink stood jubilantly on board their sailing yacht "Next Generation Boating - Around the World" and could hardly believe themselves what a hussar ride they had pulled off on the second and longest Globe40 leg.

"We did it, 2nd place! Unbelievable after 8,000 nautical miles with so many ups and downs. Thank you all for believing in us, we're really enjoying it," cheered Lennart after almost 30 days at sea.

After around 8,000 nautical miles (approx. 15,000 kilometers), the OTTO-WULFF sailing duo was only seven and a half minutes behind the winner ("Belgium Ocean Racing - Curium") - a blink of an eye compared to the overall distance and an incredible achievement measured against the spectacular race to catch up that Lennart and Melwin conjured up on the Atlantic and finally the Indian Ocean on their way from Cape Verde to La Réunion.

Burke and Fink: 660 nautical miles caught up

Ten days before the heart-stopping finale, the youngest crew in this circumnavigation was still 660 nautical miles (a good 1,200 kilometers) behind the Belgian boat and the French team "Crédit Mutuel", which finished in third place.

"We had an incredible comeback and still came second, the three of us," said Melwin at the finish, pointing to the OTTO WULFF duck mascot "Otti". "Thank you OTTO WULFF for standing behind us and giving us 'Otti' on this journey."

OTTO WULFF duck mascot "Otti" in the middle of it all

The 30,000 nautical mile two-handed regatta around the globe with Lennart and Melwin at the helm has already developed into a kind of three-handed regatta with a small, green bathing duck addition. "Otti" is the loyal co-skipper at Lennart and Melwin's side.

True to the motto "in the thick of it instead of just there", "Otti" also completed the second stage of the Globe40, which was paved with numerous milestones, together with Lennart and Melwin.

Globe40: First equator crossing

On October 8, the OTTO WULFF duck mascot was sitting in the front row as the two crossed the equator for the first time in their young offshore career.

"This was the first major milestone of our circumnavigation," said Lennart and Melwin, who did not shy away from the traditional baptism with a bucket full of leftovers. A sip of rum for the boat, "Otti" and the two circumnavigators to make the sea god Neptune happy was of course also a must.

Melwin with daring repairs to the mast

Perhaps that's why two daring repairs by Melwin to the 19-metre-high mast ended in a minor way. "It's pure adrenaline and pretty crazy," said the two sailors. "You trust the other person with your life when you do something like that."

Cape of Good Hope as a milestone

Everything went smoothly and the next adrenaline rush followed with the first rounding of the Cape of Good Hope on October 22. "That was a moment we will never forget and is a huge milestone for us. It's just as well that there was still enough rum left at the southern tip of South Africa to give everyone on board, the boat and, of course, "Otti" a proper toast.

30.4 knots - a speed record!

In race mode, after the transition from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, we headed for the finish line. Melwin and Lennart set their own speed record, pushing their boat to 30.4 knots. With the equivalent of around 56 km/h, the OTTO WULFF duo and co-pilot "Otti" sped towards the finish in favorable wind conditions, chose a clever route a little further west than the leaders on the last few nautical miles and only narrowly missed out on victory in the end.

Third leg leads fleet to Sydney

After exactly 29 days, 22 hours, 12 minutes and 26 seconds, Melwin and Lennart crossed the finish line off La Réunion. "It's really crazy what we're doing here. Traveling the seas like this and covering such distances," said Lennart.

Now the OTTO WULFF team, which has moved up to second place in the overall standings, has around three weeks to recharge its batteries for the third leg. This will take the fleet around 5,100 nautical miles to Sydney in Australia. The starting signal for the next adventure of Lennart, Melwin and "Otti" will be given on November 22.

A text by Matthias Heidrich