Boris Herrmann is ready to take on the Route du Rhum race

The Route du Rhum is a single-handed transatlantic race, held every four years. A mix of professional and amateur sailors compete in six different classes and it provides the first real test for both Boris Herrmann and the newly built Malizia – Seaexplorer IMOCA 60 race yacht. It is an important milestone, as it takes Boris one step closer towards selection for the Vendée Globe solo round the world challenge in 2024.

Shortly after the christening of Malizia – Seaexplorer in Hamburg in September, we caught up with Boris and his Team Malizia co-skipper Will Harris to get their first reaction to the new Malizia - Seaexplorer. They gave us an insight into how they think the boat will fare when faced with two tough ‘round the world’ challenges, the team-based Ocean Race in January 2023, and the solo Vendée Globe in 2024. Both are optimistic about the boat’s promising early performance, as you can see in this short video:

‘A Race We Must Win’ for Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia has a two-fold meaning. Firstly, it reflects their desire to sail competitively, and secondly it signifies their ongoing commitment to ocean conservation and climate protection. Throughout the Route du Rhum, Malizia – Sea Explorer will continue to collect valuable CO2 ocean data via the mini-laboratory on board and transmit it back to marine researchers on land.

On finishing the Route du Rhum in Guadeloupe, the boat will sail to Alicante, Spain, where Team Malizia crew are based until the start of the Ocean Race on 15 January 2023. So, good luck to Boris in the Route du Rhum and to Team Malizia with their ongoing preparations for the Ocean Race.