GERMAN BERNHARD HALL TO TAKE PART IN TRANSLEM’ FOR THE FOURTH TIME

An electronics engineer by trade, Bernhard started sailing late, around 12 years ago. It lives in south-east Germany, near Munich, and sails on Lake Ammer, which covers an area of around 50km2. ” I love racing, especially single-handed; I do a lot of local racing on Lake Ammer, ” says Bernhard. ” I tried sailing for the first time when I was in Portugal, in the Algarve, and I was immediately hooked; I was immediately captivated by the sport. I started shopping and then bought a boat so I could be free to do what I wanted. “Bernhard will be taking part in the Translémanique en Solitaire for the 4th time this year, aboard Aiolos, an Ultimate 20. A sporty sailboat well-suited to competition, it is also suitable for leisure. ” It’s a pretty safe boat and I can totally handle it on my own,” adds Bernhard. ” I also like to use her as a pleasure sailboat. His goal, as an amateur, is not to be last and to do better than the last edition. Bernhard’s first participation in the Translem’ dates back to 2016, when the course was shorter and led to Lutry. After following the Vendée Globe in France, and discovering Justine Mettraux in the Mini Transat, the German heard about the Bol d’Or Mirabaud (which he raced in 2022) and discovered the Translémanique solo race. Whenever possible, Bernhard likes to take part in this regatta, but it’s quite an organization! ” It’s a real effort to transport the yacht to Geneva, and requires a certain amount of organization. But I’m happy to do it: the Société Nautique de Genève is a great club, well-prepared, we can use the crane, and everything always runs smoothly. “The long-distance, single-handed concept appealed to Bernhard: “There are no excuses, you’re on your own when it comes to making decisions, and I like that – there’s no one to argue with. The Lake Geneva environment is also very appealing to him: ” The scenery is superb and I love the challenge of all the different winds on the lake. For an amateur sailor like me, it’s really great to be able to sail with professionals. .