A True Professional.

BauNetz in conversation with Jochen Schümann.
A True Professional.
Text: Marina Meurer
Translation by Rosemarie K. Lorenz
Photographs: BauNetz, Audi
We should really be grateful to Veronica Ferres. Because she was late for her appointment with the press during the Kieler Woche sailing event, we found ourselves suddenly with a lot of time to engage in conversation with the sailing legend
Jochen Schümann: we talked about the complexity of sailing, the “signature” of
the skipper and why sailing cannot be described, but has to be experienced.
Jochen Schümann was born in 1954 and has done and achieved everything that is
possible in this sport: from 1976 onwards he was several times European Champion,
World Champion and Olympic Champion, and with the Swiss Alinghi, he twice won
the America’s Cup, the most prestigious regatta in the world. In 2007 he skippered
the United Internet Germany team, in 2009 he was co-founder and sports director of
the German/French team “All4One,” as well as co-initiator of the Sailing Team Germany initiative for the promotion of German performance sailing.
Even if you don’t know what Germany’s most successful yachtsman looks like, on the
TP52 it is immediately apparent who is boss of the crew – without many words, even
though today, Schümann is only a guest of the Audi A1 team and a promotion partner of Ms. Ferres, Audi’s “brand ambassador.” Other people on board the 16-meterlong racing yacht, which has already won the international German Championship in
its class on the previous day, are a crowd of reporters, photographers and a camera
team. Later on in the Bay of Kiel they will be accompanied by a motor boat with even
more photographers and cameras – the usual celebrity madness.
The temperature feels like 35 degrees, sunglasses are a must. We are sitting at the
railing and a conversation ensues. Jochen Schümann is open and concentrated – in
his conversation with us, just as later on in the photoshoot with the star actress. In
other words, a true professional – which requires a lot more than simply being able to
sail well, as becomes immediately apparent.
The Schilksee Olympic Center – the
main stage of the Kieler Woche
sailing event.
Interview
When you look around, you seem to be busy with people from the press all day
long. What does the life of a professional yachtsman entail?
Sailing is incredibly
complex – probably
similar to architecture.
Every yachtsman – and that starts with the Optimist – knows that you may be sailing
one third of the time, and have to spend two thirds on preparation. That is particularly true for professionals. There are lots of tasks: for example, the grinders also have
to maintain and improve the whole winch system with its gearbox. Ropes are subject
to wear and have to be replaced and re-spliced – all that is done by the yachtsmen
themselves. But one also has to be a manager, take care of logistics, budget planning
and promotion. To run a boat is like organizing a company. For this reason, professionals often spend less time on the water than amateur sailors.
The amateur sailor David Chipperfield once said that sailing was a relaxed way to
think or a thoughtful way to relax.
There is something in that, but professional sport is a lot about concentration. Sailing
is incredibly complex – probably similar to architecture.
What does one need to have understood about sailing in order to be good at it?
I like to compare sailing to three-dimensional chess. Chess is defined by 64 squares
and clear rules, one always has to think ahead and react to one’s opponent. With us
it is similar, we have rules, we move within a defined area and we act strategically.
The only difference: there is not just one player, but a whole team. The second point
is the technology – we have to prepare a high-tech boat and control it. And, we have
to handle nature as the third dimension – our playing field is constantly moving. If
the wind changes direction, the black and white squares change into diamonds – the
one in front is suddenly behind because he or she has to sail through the long edges
while another competitor can take the short route through these diamonds. Ultimately however, what matters is that one takes in all components simultaneously and
processes them correctly. Everything is constantly in movement, your boat, the team,
the opponents; you have to be able to read nature – then you are a good yachtsman.
At your level – how much talent is that or how much training?
You need both talent and experience. However, the most important thing is that you
have respect: for intuition, for experience and also for the creativity of the young in
spite of their lack of adaptation. You need to recognize all these facets to come to
a good whole. If you were only counting on experience, as an architect you would
always build the same old shack, which surely is not very exciting.
In your team you have Matti Paschen and Jan Schoepe, two architects...
Initially this is of course a compliment and means that the two have already done
quite a few things right (laughs). But perhaps these two disciplines go particularly
well together because one has to read and cope with a multitude of parameters and
one has to maintain a perspective on the overall project. Generally speaking, there
are a lot of highly intelligent people amongst good yachtsmen – that has probably
something to do with the complexity that I mentioned. The only problem is that
most of them leave the sport quite early in order to pursue their careers as lawyers,
doctors, consultants or architects and make much more money.
That is rather more difficult in sailing?
Only few of those who are committed to the sport are in it for the money. Even as a
top sportsman, you can’t compare yourself with someone who has played a season
for FC Bayern soccer team. We are talking about different values. We are talking about
teamwork, about nature, technology, lifestyle; but also about tradition, manual skills
and science.
But what exactly makes sailing so fascinating?
A good yachtsman
needs talent, experience – and respect.
Investigative Journalism
BN: Have you ever been seasick?
Jochen: Yes.
That cannot be described, only experienced. Sailing is a sport you need to participate
in, you have to take a hand yourself – that is different to sports like soccer, where you
can have fun sitting in front of the TV or in a stadium. When you think about it, all the
hype and how average the match sometimes is in comparison... Sailing simply is a
different world. In this sport there are often top performances that nobody even notices. But that’s how it is – we yachtsmen don’t see ourselves competing with soccer.
At the moment we are fans ourselves and follow the World Cup.
You have been active in sailing for decades. Have you developed your own signature over time – perhaps like an architect?
You could call it that. I’m certainly somebody who likes to have a calm boat so that
the important points are clear and conveyed without raising one’s voice. There are
others who are much more emotional, they hire and fire and may say “You’ve made a
mistake, you’re fired, there are ten others who can and want to do the same thing.” I
say, OK, somebody now knows that a mistake has been made and has learnt something. I will not exclude him from the team, knowing that he will never make the
same mistake again.
The team is one of the most important success factors?
Jochen Schümann came to sailing
relatively late in life – he was already
twelve. In spite of that, he’s come a
long way.
Absolutely. This is why the boss of the team needs a lot of psychology, without
having studied it; a little bit like a good father or mother in the family. It really is
important that the chemistry is right – as in all situations involving a group of people.
But sailing also requires some physical qualities, for example, as a grinder, you have
to be strong, as a bowman, you have to be very good at climbing... And so we have
different tasks and personalities.
To what extent is a yachtsman a generalist and to what extent a specialist?
The fascination of
sailing can only be
experienced.
Most people start as a child, taking part in various sailing classes, events and challenges. And initially one does everything of course. Those who are successful prevail and
carry on while the others lose interest and give up. At some stage it will emerge who
is good at what. But there are also many who are generalists and very good yachtsmen. They can be deployed anywhere. At the beginning it is a random process. That
was not different for me either and has something to do with intuition. Then, at some
stage, you have to be very focused and work hard in order to prevail amongst the
best.
Complexity, signature, generalist – these are all terms one can find in architecture.
Is there also an equivalent for the building owner? Someone who calls and says:
“Hi Jochen Schümann, I want to hire you as architect for my campaign?”
In principle, yes. In my current project “Audi A1 powered by All4One,” Audi is our main
partner and title sponsor, and in that way you could say the equivalent to a building
owner.
And the project is called: a podium finish in the Audi Med Cup circuit?
Architect Matti Paschen has often
been in Jochen Schümann’s team. In
BauNetz he was featured as one of
those who pushes the boundaries
of architecture.
www.baunetz.de/grenzgaenger
Let’s say success is the common denominator – but within that we also have different
interests and priorities. Audi is not interested in the detailed construction of the boat
or the electronics, or details of the crew on board – for us that is extremely important.
It is in Audi’s interest that we bring across the value of the world of sailing, it is about
the PR effect in the media and the image: Vorsprung durch Technik – Efficiency:
standard in every Audi. So, if we manage to generate good promotion for a certain
budget, to optimize the technology and achieve a better sporting performance, then
everything comes together nicely.
Which structure is better suited to today’s professional sport – a private or a commercial partner?
The important thing in working with a partner – whether private or commercial – is
continuity and a longer-term planned approach. Generally speaking, commercial
partners think in the longer term because they have a clear objective motivating
their commitment, and they have continuity because they want to communicate
their brand. Private sponsors can blow hot and cold. In this case we are particularly
happy that Audi has committed itself to sailing – not only in the Audi Med Cup, but
also in the Sailing Team Germany and here, at the Kieler Woche sailing event.
On an international level, German sailing does not do particularly well. What is
actually the problem?
The history of the America’s Cup dates back about 150 years; Germany took part once
and finished eleventh out of twelve competitors. That says a lot. But in the 1970s and
1980s we won the Admiral’s Cup four times, because we were the first to build plastic
boats and introduce new materials. Obviously, we have now lost the edge and the
quality we had at that time. When you are no longer willing to change and to accept
the challenge of competition, then there will be others who are better. But I am quite
The key issues for a
sponsor are continuity and a longer-term
approach.
Jochen Schümann’s favorite territory? He is yet to discover it. He certainly has not been in the Caribbean.
(“Everybody always thinks that we
know the best spots on the globe.
Perhaps later, sometime...privately”).
certain that in Germany we have the talent and the potential to make it back to the
top.
Finally, a small diversion: this years’ German contribution to the Biennale in Venice, the most prestigious international architectural event, runs under the heading
“Sehnsucht.” What do you long for?
Good question – to have more time?!
And in relation to sailing?
Achieving perfection
and yet staying simple – that is both the
most beautiful and
the most difficult to
achieve.
In sailing I am not motivated by longing. Recently someone asked me what it takes
to manage such large projects. My answer is: you have to think positively and be realistic. Keep things simple, then they are manageable and can be funded and understood, and recognized by others. The simpler something is, the better. And of course
you want to do it perfectly. To strive for perfection and yet maintain simplicity – that
is the most beautiful you can achieve.
And the most difficult.
Quite.
Many thanks for talking to us.
GLOSSARY
America‘s Cup: Abbreviation AC. Best known and oldest sailing regatta still taking
place today. Challenge cup founded in 1851. This year, the AC takes place for the 33rd
time and is considered to be the equivalent to soccer’s Champions League. Next race
and rules are currently not clear. www.americascup.com
Audi Med Cup series: Leading professional regatta series in the Mediterranean for
class TP 52 racing yachts. Five events per year. Top performance profile including
teams of the AC races, such as the Emirates Team New Zealand, Team Origin or Luna
Rossa. Considered a full replacement event to the AC while this race’s rules are under
consideration. www.medcup.org
Emirates Team New Zealand: Benchmark sailing team, currently top ranking team in
the Med Cup series 2010 and the Louis Vuitton Trophy. AC winner in 1995 and 2000.
One of the few teams with stable crew and long-term continuity. The crew around
skipper Dean Parker is currently considered as almost unbeatable.
www.emiratesteamnz.com
Grinder: Crew member who uses cranks on a carbon plinth (coffee grinder) to operate the winch drums. Needs to be strong and fit.
Campaign: Regatta project of an established team. The term is used for large international circuit events such as e.g. the legendary America’s Cup, the Louis Vuitton Cup
or here the Audi Med Cup series.
Trimmer: A crew member that is responsible for the optimum position and swelling
of the sails. Gives instructions to the >Grinder.
Winch: Used for hauling in the sails and ropes. The gears are used to make the enormous forces of sails and ropes more manageable.