It is with great sadness that we have to announce the passing away of our collaborator Klaus Hympendahl.
Klaus was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, researching a book on his passion, the tango, when he was taken ill. His family were with him in the end.
Klaus with Jimmy Cornell and Peter Gilkes from Barbados at the Dusseldorf boat show last month.
Klaus had been sailing for nearly 40 years, and owned 3 steel yachts, all named African Queen. In 1986 he joined Jimmy’s first ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) and wrote about the ARC in SEGELN magazine. Jimmy and he were friends ever since. After this Atlantic crossing Klaus completed a five year long circumnavigation.
Back in Germany Klaus started his Blue Water company offering yacht supplies which were not available in Germany at that time (1991 to 1997). He later sold the company to concentrate on writing nautical books. Klaus published many articles and seven books including “Pirates Aboard” published in 2000.
From 2008 to 2009 Klaus organized the South-Sea expedition “Lapita-Voyage”. He had 2 traditional Polynesian catamarans built in the Philippines and sailed with a team and scientists on a six month expedition that covered over 4.000 nautical miles. They were the first to sail the ancient migratory route of the Polynesians from Southeast Asia into the Pacific. At the end of the expedition Klaus donated the boats to the people of the remote islands of Tikopia and Anuta. Klaus wrote the book “Die Lapita-Expedition” and a film of the expedition “Wagnis Südsee” was broadcast by Terra X in ZDF.
