You may have read my articles about circumnavigator (well, not quite, but he is on his way) Christian Sauer aboard his Mini Globe 580 ARGO. I am following the charismatic, very authentic and sympathetic German since the start of McIntyre´s race around the world. His boat is a self-built 5.80 meters long plywood sloop, which is a prerequisite of taking part in the race in the first place. Fascinating, how these guys are making their steady progress around the globe in these most unexpected boats you can imagine.
Christian, at the time of this interview, enjoyed a few days race pause in Cape Town and again agreed to answer my questions. In fact, he was a bit puzzled at first: “Lars, I must say, you are always asking interesting questions. Thought provoking and different, I like that! Let me think about it for a while, let´s see how I deal with these.” I take this as a compliment to my journalistic efforts, thanks Christian! So now, let´s dive into this most interesting conversation…
Talking to ARGO-skipper Christian Sauer in Cape Town
Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: „Christian, I am absolutely thrilled each and every time again that we can talk in real-time thanks to Starlink! What an amazing feat! For a start, please give a short intermediate result: How many nautical miles have you been sailing on your race around the world up to now? How do you feel right now being in Cape Town?”
Christian Sauer: „Right now I have completed little more than 21.000 nautical miles. The amazing thing is that it took me even less than 11 months, which is astonishing if you look at these small boats, right? I feel really good being here in Cape Town. But I must say, it was a real relief after I completed the rounding of Cape Agulhas because it is true what they say: This may be the toughest part of the whole trip. But amazingly, not for me! Personally, my toughest part was actually the start! Casting off in Lagos near Malaga, right at the start. It was awful! Everything was new, a boat untested. I´ve never been sailing with a wind vane before, let alone offshore. But for the rest of those 21.000 nautical miles this passage round the Cape Agulhas had been lurking in the back of my head. It was even boosted by the stories my father told me from his circumnavigation back in 2002, when he battled very rough conditions in this region and had to tackle very, very serious problems. At one point he even made his peace with the world, expecting the worst to happen. I mean, this kind of respect and anticipation. But I must say, for me, personally, the concept of McIntyre was perfect: As we are allowed to take 16 days “off” stopping in marinas and safe harbors to wait for favorable conditions. Which most of us did and so I was able to pass pretty nice weather windows. So it worked out just fine and I am super happy to being here.”
Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: „That´s what I wanted to ask: How did the Indian Ocean said Goodbye to you and how did the Atlantic Ocean embrace you here off cape Town? I´ve read a lot and as it seems, current- and wind-wise it´s a hell of a ride, isn´t it?”
Christian Sauer: „I´d love to start a bit earlier and tell you a bit at first about the Indian Ocean and how I experienced it. It was … really hard! The leg until Rodrigues and more so up until Mauritius and all the way to Durban in Africa was just super heavy sailing, I can tell you. It somehow creates a very unpleasant wave pattern, the whole way East. And if this isn´t enough ordeal, south of Madagascar the current sets in. This is just pure sailing madness. What makes it so difficult are the many annular currents, which are regional phenomena but very frequent. You cannot really see them and if one has trapped you, if you´re luck – and I was – wind will die down completely. At one point I was trapped in such a beast for over 36 hours, can you imagine? So it´s very difficult to keep your boat sailing and make tactical decisions.”
Christian Sauer: „Also, conditions may change very rapidly from one extreme to the other. Imagine my small boat and suddenly you have to cope with very strong winds, whitecaps on the furious waves which make you almost capsize. You don´t realize how fast things can change here. I´ve read and heard the hair raising stories of my racing mates and it shook me to the bone. And the mighty ocean regularly sent some of those little reminders to me as well. All in all this leg, from Mauritius to Durban, was very tough. It was very hard for me to even bridge this distance and I have lost a lot of time on the leaderboard. Well, I´m not a racer and have no ambitions to win here, so it is okay for me. The part from Durban to Cape Town, which is essentially sailing due South along the African coast, is very interesting and demanding.”
Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: „In what respect?”
Christian Sauer: „Well, the main current sets at around 3 knots, but it is very hard to make out and to read, if you will. The pilot charts for this area state that this current will be the strongest at around the 200 meters-depth line, where the African continental shelf is piling up from the ocean´s depth. Just like the Bay of Biscay if you will. But just as the Bay of Biscay, the rolling waves pile up as well, so you have very chaotic wave patterns which are also very violent at times. So it´s generally a very rough ride. What you must avoid at any cost – even more so in our small boats – is a situation where you get wind against current, because this can easily crush a boat, even bigger ones. So, as I mentioned before, when it deteriorated too much, I went into safe harbors. But also when I was underway, I couldn´t quite get my boat to a smooth sailing: Neither my wind pilot could handle it, nor the electric autopilot. Even with manual steering it was very hard to keep the boat on a steady course. And if you see a fellow Mini-racer going past you just one mile off your position – without any problems at all – it´s really frustrating! For the first time on the whole trip I felt really down and had almost lost my motivation.”
Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: „Yet now you are here. How did you manage it?”
Christian Sauer: „Well, I guess I just pulled through. After I survived – in the best sense of the word – the leg between Mossel Bay and the Cape, I felt I had made it. You have to know that from here to Cape Town there are no further save havens in case something happens. So when you start, you´ll have to make it, no Plan B here. But the moment I had rounded the Cape, it was okay. I kind of feared the mighty underwater mountains before Cape Town, which are known to create chaotic waves and vortexes, but maybe I was lucky, because it was absolutely fine. I´ve got some 30 knots winds, and more, but that was manageable, so I was able to finish this leg in Cape Town in broad daylight, which is a real treat! I am super happy to being here and knowing this part in my wake. Sudden weather changes, currents, chaotic waves … it was tough, man!”
Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: „So if you would sum up the, let´s say, top three hardest things you´ve experienced so far, what would those be? And how did you manage to cope with them or master those?”
Christian Sauer: „Apart from the very bad feeling at the start, there is one particular situation that still makes my blood freeze in my veins. It was off Cape Agulhas, pitch black dark night. A sudden gust set in, more than 30 knots and counting. As I still had both of my Gennakers up, I had to go to the bow to haul in the Gennaker-boom. As a violent gust hit the boat in unison with a bigger wave, she went over on her side quickly and I lost my grip. My feet slipped underneath the ship´s side and rail, my upper body went over the rail. Luckily, I was tethered to the boat – and it didn´t snap. I managed to get back safely and apart from a few bruises and concussions it´s just a shock that remains, but it showed again how damn quick things can change from “under control” into “MOB”!
Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: „Oh my, Christian! This awkwardly resonates with my last article on safety gear and life jackets …”
Christian Sauer: „Yes. It´s really important to wear one and stay constantly connected to your boat. I mean, I have a large loop in form of a floating I drag in the wake of ARGO and other means of getting back aboard, but who knows if this works in case of? The second most annoying thing I already mentioned: It was this seemingly never ending ordeal from Durban to East London along the coast. I just couldn´t get the boat to a smooth and steady sailing pattern. It was so frustrating! But the single most toughest thing is the sleep deprivation, which in my case is – I guess – even worse. You know, I have a pretty deep sleep. There is only one gadget that wakes me up reliably, and this is a wrist watch that sends low-energy electric shocks through my body. But this is broken now and so its really hard for me to really trust the backup systems to wake me up: Remember, we are sailing very close to the shore here! And even AIS alert can´t often get me awake. The outcome is a very unsteady sleep. No REM-phases and – worst of all – no real recovery, even if I rest a nice amount of hours. Then there´s still constant pain in my shoulder, which is multiplied by the motion of the small boat. It all adds up and sometimes it feels like I loose my mind. You know, if you can´t sleep, you will make stupid decisions, you cannot think clear, let alone act promptly. It´s really the hardest thing for me. But I guess I will have to pull this through as well …”
Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: „Let´s talk a bit specifically about the sails. Last time we spoke you told me about various – and serious – problems. You even doubted that you can make it to the finish with those. What´s the current state here?“
Christian Sauer: „Regarding the sails, it´s a mixed feeling really. I am a bit different than the others, apparently, as most of the Mini 580-fleet is predominantly using the standard setup of Genoa and mainsail. ARGO is different: Most of the time I utilize both Gennakers in butterfly-configuration. I really like sailing this way. That means that my big Jib isn´t used – and therefore damaged – all too much, which can be of use in the last legs back home to Europe. Some of my fellow race-colleagues have really battered sails. For example, back in East London one of the sailmakers, who was heavily utilized by the fleet to repair our sails, went into full laughter-mode when we told him that we´d have to sail for another 8.000 miles with these sails. He just couln´t believe it! But it´s not that bad at all, you know, because according to the race rules we are allowed to repair the canvas as many times as we have to. So we seize every chance to have them patched up again. But the sails are really a weak point in the system, yet they are absolutely crucial, of course. This is why I have decided to add a significant amount of doubling. I know that this will add a lot of weight to the rigging as well as it will kill the sail´s profile for the most part, but what can we do? I don´t want to risk a penalty but I also see which distance I still have to go. So currently my sails are up north in Durban again at a UK Sailmakers-loft who did a wonderful job already. I just hope they come back in time …”
Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: „Are you, and the other sailors as well, talking about these problems with the organizer, especially Don McIntyre? I mean, your experience and feedback should be very precious for the next editions of this regatta, right? And when I look onto the sails, that´s one of the most pressing issues, I´d say …”
Christian Sauer: „Yes, of course! We share our thoughts in regular update sessions and the sails are definitely a frequent topic. I cannot speak for Don or the organization, but I have the feeling that there are indeed ideas and plans to have stronger sails. I have no doubt that the feedback of the current race will make its way into an updated set of regulations.”
Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: „Many people have contacted me or reacted to the article I wrote about your fellow colleagues Simone and Thomas, who are currently building their own Mini 580 boat to take part in the next race. Having almost rounded our planet, tell me how is ARGO holding up against the forces of nature? Is the boat fine, structurally and such? How are the bonds behaving, the laminate-joints and the keel? What can you say about the general offshore-capabilities of the 5.80 meters long boat you built from plywood with your own hands?”
Christian Sauer: „Just one sentence: I love my boat! I have nothing but praise for ARGO! I feel absolutely safe and fine, even in strong winds. Of course, after more than 21.000 nautical miles this boat collected a lot of bruises and chafing, but this is only superficial. The bot is in top-condition! As a professional carpenter I see things, sure, but these are details and I learned to let go, to ignore them. My friends at home, when I was still building the boat, also told me that she won´t remain as pretty as I had built her in the first place. But she looks beautiful, she is a strong little boat! Structurally there are no signs whatsoever in any areas, be it the hull, the rigging or the keel. Nothing! I just finished meticulously controlling everything here in Cape Town. And if you look at the overall race statistics you will notice that nobody had to give up due to the boats. We´ve had dropouts for health reasons, some tapped out for home sickness – but none had to go because the boat failed.”
Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: „So you will keep her after the race?”
Christian Sauer: „Right now I have no intentions to sell her. I can even imagine myself taking part in more regattas. I mean, she is such a gorgeous little boat. A Mini 580 sails very sweet-tempered, even in a strong breeze. It´s crazy, really! Structurally, I know now, that the designer has build in a safety factor of 4 in all calculations. So the boat is four times stronger than needed. Making a boat from plywood – in my eyes – is the best production method you can think of. Together with the layers of GRP around the wooden hull, it is safe and sturdy! I mean, she is considerably lightweight and therefore agile.”
Last, but not least …
Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: „Which brings us to the last questions this time. You are currently preparing the last legs of your circumnavigation. How does it feel like? I mean, emotionally: Are you looking forward to returning home or is there regret that it will be all over?“
Christian Sauer: „Right now everything looks quite clear to me. It will be over very soon. Three months at best. What happens after I finish the Mini Globe race? Well, I will certainly go on sailing with ARGO, that one is for sure. Right now I don´t plan to going back to Germany as well. I´d love to do another transatlantic journey with ARGO, because I really liked it the first time. Now, I am looking forward to the last 2.500 miles to Antigua, I am looking forward to the Carnival.”
Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: „… but after the Mini Globe Race life will and must go on. What is Christian Sauer like, what does he do, in „real life“?”
Christian Sauer: „Lars, you see, one thing that came for me with embarking on this wonderful voyage was the fact that I had been given the chance to really get to know myself. Many, if not most, people don´t understand what this means. I mean, I was wearing socks and proper shoes for the first time in 11 months here in Cape Town again … and I don´t like it, really. What I want to say is that I became much calmer, full of trust and serenity. The race has changed me in many respects. I don´t think that I can return into my old job. No way. I do have some plans, like implementing my project “ARGO Worldwide”, where I´d like to go on travelling. I just cannot think of returning to my old life. You asked who I am in real life? Here´s my answer: This is the real life for me!”
Thanks again, Christian, for sharing this insight into you fantastic race! I wish you fair winds and following seas for the last thousands of miles in your journey, be safe, mate!
Here´s more on the Mini Globe and the Mini 5.80 boats:
Tailwind for MAKANI – building a sailboat from plywood in your garage
Talking to a real solo sailor: ARGO-skipper Christian arrives in the Caribbean
Patching around the world – sails troubles & more during the MGR