September 2023—The Solitaire du Figaro, which kicked off on August 27th, is one of the world’s most prestigious singlehanded offshore sailing events. For DB SCHENKER brand ambassador Susann Beucke this is the second time around and members of the DB SCHENKER team across the globe are excited.
DB SCHENKER has endorsed Susann Beucke since 2022. A perfect match between sports and logistics, the partners share core values that include being resilient, embracing diversity, valuing sustainability, and striving for transformation.
“We are very happy to have Susann Beucke on board. Sanni is the embodiment of a competitor who knows how to stay young, hungry, and nimble even though she is already immensely experienced and accomplished, with each new objective she sets for herself being more ambitious than the last. For a company like ours, which has been in business for over a 150 years, that mindset is incredibly inspirational!” beams Torsten Meincke, Board Member Air & Ocean Freight at DB SCHENKER.
Logistics and Sailing Embrace Diversity
Last year was an adventure. This year Sanni is on a mission, competing to be the best offshore skipper in France. Thirty-three contestants have entered the three-leg race that is the Solitaire du Figaro. Of the 33 participants, there are only 6 who are not French, 5 who are women, and only one who is a German woman. Sanni Beucke—who hails from Strande, near Kiel in Northern Germany— won’t let gender or nationality keep her from striving to become an offshore-sailing champion!
A fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion, Susann’s motto is “This Race is Female”.
“I want to be a role model. I want to help empower women everywhere to tackle all of the challenges they feared were impossible. Boundaries are there to be pushed, whether they're in your own mind or in society." — Susann Beucke, Offshore Sailor
DB SCHENKER shares Beucke’s perspective and strives to make its workforce 50% female accordingly.
The Susann Beucke’s Title-Contending Transformation
After securing an Olympic silver medal in sailing in Tokyo 2020 in the 49erFX class, Susann Beucke converted to offshore sailing. Dreaming big is one of the many traits that the German Olympian and DB SCHENKER share in common. During last year’s race, strong winds destroyed several of Beucke’s rigs as she battled exhaustion and nervous tension all the way across the finish line.
This year, the German skipper feels much better prepared. After hiring a dedicated offshore-sailing trainer and moving to Lorient to take advantage of the excellent sailing conditions, Beucke has a stronger grasp of the twists and turns of the unique Solitaire du Figaro on her second attempt. The Solitaire is an incredibly demanding solo race, spanning from the North of Ireland to Gijon in Northern Spain—1,900 nautical miles all alone on a Figaro Benetau 3 class boat. As an enterprise that believes consistent transformation is essential to staying top of class, DB Schenker knows that there is no better sailor to represent its values than Susann Beucke.
Champions Driving for Sustainability
Sailing is not only one of the most sustainable sports around it also shows participants and viewers directly the impact that twelve million tons of annual plastic pollution have on our oceans. Susann has pledged to build awareness about this disturbing trend and to combat it but that’s only one of the reasons she is a perfect match for DB SCHENKER.
LinkWebsite: Partnership between DB SCHENKER and Susann Beucke | DB SCHENKER
About DB SCHENKER
With around 76,600 employees at more than 1,850 locations in over 130 countries, DB SCHENKER is one of the world’s leading logistics providers. The company operates land, air, and ocean transportation services, and it also offers comprehensive logistics and global supply chain management solutions from a single source. To reach its ambitious goal of net carbon zero by 2040, the logistics service provider continuously invests in innovative transport solutions, renewable energies, and carbon-neutral products for its customers.