Barton Marine Sponsor Young German Sailor's Attempt to Circumnavigate the Globe
by Barton Marine 18 Apr 2022 12:00 BST
Johannes Li sets sail on May 1st aiming to become the youngest German to circumnavigate the Globe. Over the last six months he has restored a 32ft Nantucket Clipper with the help of sponsorship and limited funds raised from working as an electrician. It has not been an easy task.
Johannes Li graduated from school and trained as an electrician. Having faced the challenge of growing up in social care and suffering from Asperger's syndrome Johannes is very determined and combined with a strong sense of adventure he aims to push his boundaries and achieve his dream.
The Barton Marine team have provided advice as well as product from the Barton range required to get Johannes' yacht ready for the voyage. The gear includes 32mm T Track lengths for the Genoa, Standard Genoa cars for 32mm T Track, 32mm stand up blocks on slide, Clamseals and Shroud cleats.
To highlight the challenge faced, sailcloth has been donated to make his new sails, but no sailmaker has been found to sponsor the making of them, so he is setting off with the old original sails and attaching sticky back dacron patches to the wear areas.
Being an electrician, Johannes has fitted a good battery power system and a new inverter. However, the engine is old and has a slight rattle. His tight budget means he does not have satellite communication, so the only chance we will get for an update is if he picks up a phone signal near to land.
His food will be mainly tinned. He doesn't know how to fish but has been given a tip to leave a small light on overnight to attract flying fish to jump onboard, which he can then eat (they taste nice actually).
The first stop will be South Africa, in 62 days and after 4,000 miles at sea, following which he plans to sail on to Australia and then South America. He will most likely round the notorious Cape Horn, as the Panama Canal is beyond his budget.
Johannes is an incredibly brave young man and determined to push his boundaries to achieve his dream. His sense of adventure and self-driven attitude to overcome challenges with a small budget is inspiring and the whole Barton team wish him the best of luck.