In 2008 I sailed the second time with my danish colleagues. Since we got only 5th-last in Portsmouth, the situation in the regatta this year could only improve. The 8-member-crew was almost the same as the year before, we only replaced Sten the Swede by Peter. Because Sten did our navigation, another crew member had to take over this responsible position. Alex agreed to do that, and he even participated in an education for that.

Another difference to last year was, that I worked back in Bremen now, so that we could not travel together to Lorient. For Mikkel, this was the other way round. He now works back in Copenhagen and not any longer in Ireland, so he had the joy to travel with the gang this time.

My plans at first was to join my danish friends in Paris/Charles-De-Gaulle, where they wanted to rent a car and drive to Lorient. Then I figured out, that I could travel with some Bremen colleagues to there. Traditionally up to 10 boats and skippers from Bremen participate in the Ariane's Cup. There should be somebody who could take me. It turned out to be even better. Skipper Norbert wanted to sail some days before the cup, and he was ready to take me. Because I had some days of holidays left over, I proposed to participate in the training session. The cup took place from Thursday to Sunday, and Norbert and his crew travelled already the Friday before to Lorient. No sooner said than done, I joined Norbert and Heiko in their Mercedes, and we started Friday the 26. 9. night 10 o'clock pm, to drive the 1300 km through the night to Lorient. We arrived at 3 o'clock on Saturday, the 27. 9., in the afternoon and had no problem to take over the boat: a 425 Dufour - a very nice boat, but not to keep for the cup, because nobody should race on the boat they had for training. Skipper Norbert was quite sad to have to return the boat on Thursday.

The rest of the crew arrived at 10 pm, so that Klaus, Bob, and Detlef could also sleep on the boat. The first night was quite cold, and the next morning, on Sunday, the 28. 9., everything was wet, but over the day a very nice weather developed. There was a lot of sun, but only the wind was missing. The second day, Monday, the 29. 9., got even warmer. I actually sailed in shorts and t-shirt. Still quite little wind. Heiko was very busy fishing, and not only busy, but also successful. At the end he caught three mullets (Meeräsche) and some smaller fishes, which he cooked very nicely and we ate with big appetite.

On Tuesday, the 30. 9. Norbert wanted at first in the morning to check the location of the cup itself. Because during our pre-regatta tour, we were located in the harbour of Kernevel, a Part of Lamor-Plage south of Lorient centre. It was a tour about 30 minutes, and the water in the entrance of the old harbour was very low, so that we had to sail very carefully and slowly. We were impressed by the old harbour. It was really in the absolute centre of Lorient. But we did not fix the boat there, because we wanted really to sail today. So we sailed back, out of the harbour and on the direction to the island Isle de Groix. Today the weather was a little bit more rough, and the crew started to get very silent. Skipper Norbert decided to shortcut the way to the harbour of Groix, before he was the only one left standing upright.

We spent the night on Groix and had a very fancy dinner in a very nice restaurant. The next morning, on Wednesday, the 1. 10., we sailed back to Kernevel, to prepare the boat for giving back to the owner. We could sleep on it one last night, but the next day, Thursday, the 2. 10., we had to change the boat, and I had to leave my new crew to join my danish friends, who I expected late Thursday evening.

They arrived quite late, but happy. They arrived at Paris/Charles-De-Gaulle airport the evening before, spent the night in a small hotel, and drove further to Lorient. At first, we checked into the regatta and took over the boat. It was also a 425 Dufour, but not the same one as skipper Norbert had before. There were only two of them, and there was actually a 50/50 chance to geht the same boat, but the odds were against us. The other 425 did not have the same equipment as Norbert's, but which was not necessarily a disadvantage. For example it had one bathroom less, but which ment it had more space for the navigator below deck.

The same evening was the first reception in a tent directly at the harbour. The small old harbour was packed with boats, and the reception in the tent was very busy. But we left the reception, because there was not too much to eat, and had a nice dinner in one of the restaurants at the harbour. Compared to Copenhagen prices it was very cheap. After a short night, on Friday, the 3. 10., the first two races started, between the island of Groix and the harbour of Lorient. We had a very good start in both races, and the boat sailed very well, so that we had a very good result. It was actually a very nice feeling to take over other boats. After the two races, we were on place 14 of 30 in our green group, and place 27 of 86 overall. Not to bad after a fourth last place last year. In the second race we even had the feeling, we came in first in our group, but at the result lists, two boats were in front of us, one by mathematics (there is a factor which represents the boat quality), regarding the other boat we assumed that it simply started in the group before us, but was accounted in our group. We thought they were actually the slowest in our group. But Morten, our skipper, was in a very generous mood and did not protest against this result. We had also have some slight problems to figure out, when it was our turn to start, so we had some understanding for the others.

In the evening there was a fine dinner in the town hall, and thereafter a very good band with life music. It was a short night again, and the next day should bring a regatta round the island of Groix, more than 20 nautical miles, if the weather allowed for that. And, really, we did it. The race was set, and we had again a very good start. Skipper Morten decided not to use the gennaker, and we saw later, that the decision was right, because other boats had some problems with it. We took over some boats, and came in 11 of 30 in our group. But at the end of the race, the weather conditions got worse and worse, and the outlook for the next day, where a navigator's special was planned, were not so bright. In the evening again, there was a nice dinner in the town hall, and the life music band had some nice girls in addition, so that it was a big success. But on the downside, the night was again very short. But, as foreseen, the race on Sunday, the 5. October, was called off, because the weather conditions did not allow sailing out. Too strong wind and too high waves on the ocean. For us, it was a lucky decision, because we would have turned down the last race anyway, because my danish friends had to go quite early back to Charles-De-Gaule to fly back to Copenhagen. Therefore they left in the morning after breakfast, I cleaned the boat and returned it, slept the last night on another boat together with skipper Armin, and returned to Bremen the next morning with skipper Norbert and Heiko in his big Mercedes. We arrived Monday night very late.

Our result improved a lot this year, (we got 11 of 30 in our group and 26 out of 86 overall), and if this goes on, we will win the next Ariane's Cup in Marseille. It will be the 30th cup and of course a big party again.