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Will Harris

Yann Eliès

Rosalin Kuiper

Nicolas Lunven

Antoine Auriol

We compete on the highest level in the toughest races, inspire action & create awareness and highlight solutions to the climate crisis.

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Team Malizia, the professional sailing team led by German skipper, Boris Herrmann has become the 

first offshore sailing team to become a member of the International Windship Association (IWSA)

, the leading global network promoting wind propulsion technologies for the maritime transportation sector.

The sailing team is currently competing in The Ocean Race 2022-23. Together with their partners from the maritime transport sector 

, the team pursues the launch of projects that can help to reduce the carbon footprint and fuel consumption by applying wind propulsion technologies. Their 

 campaign has inspired and educated people around the world for many years through the strong emotions of their sport.

“Our commitment is to prosper innovation and decarbonisation in commercial maritime transport. Through our membership in IWSA, we are marking a new milestone in our climate and ocean campaign”, says 

. “We want to bring in our expertise from offshore racing and engage in concrete upcoming wind propulsion projects.”

, Secretary General of the IWSA adds: “We warmly welcome Team Malizia into our association. It is indeed an exotic landmark in the history of our association to have a professional sailing team in our membership. Team Malizia’s experience in frontrunning sailing technologies, their strong engagement around the world to help fight the climate crisis and their large network, including the global shipping industry, will definitely be a great asset for the entire wind propulsion community. We are looking forward to this “fresh breeze” coming from this engagement.”

Malizia - Seaexplorer

Team Malizia Becomes A Member Of The International Windship Association

Today, at 1710 hours UTC, Malizia - Seaexplorer skippered by Will Harris took the start of stage two of The Ocean Race, which will see the IMOCA fleet sail about 4,000 nautical miles from Mindelo, Cabo Verde, to Cape Town, South Africa. With unusually light wind conditions at the start, the crews can expect difficult strategic choices and a leg duration of about two weeks.

Mindelo, São Vicente, Cabo Verde, 25 January 2023

 - Team Malizia, who finished in third position in Leg 1, docked off this Wednesday afternoon under the applause of a cheering Capeverdean crowd. This stopover marked the first time The Ocean Race has been hosted by a West African country. Besides lasting only four days, the visit to the archipelago was quite 

 sustained a burn on his foot from boiling water at the end of Leg 1 and had to sit out Leg 2 in order to recover in time for the Southern Ocean leg. 

“It had always been planned that I would take over the role as skipper from Boris for one or two legs, it’s just happening a bit earlier than expected”, said the young British sailor before jumping on 

this Wednesday afternoon. “I have sailed so much with the team and with the boat, I am just feeling ready for it. It was a bit of a shock to find out that Boris couldn’t do this next leg, and we are obviously gutted. We really found our rhythm and pace during Leg 1, also always making sure we were having fun as a team doing this race. We have a great replacement in Yann Eliès, he brings with him a lot of experience. It will be my first time sailing in the tricky waters of the Southern Ocean, so it is really exciting to have both Yann and Nico Lunven onboard. I want to bring the team together and make sure we get every bit of expertise out of these guys to push the boat and get the best result possible.”

“I’m lucky to be part of a team that managed the first leg very well”, explained 

. “Now, I have to learn what they learned during Leg 1 as fast as I can to be as close as possible to their level for the start of this leg. As for suddenly learning that I was going offshore a few days later, it is always difficult to leave people behind on land, so I want to jump on the boat and race as soon as possible. I know the way to Cape Town and through the Southern Ocean very well, this won’t be a new experience for me, it’s another one.”

 added: “Yann and I just found out that our fathers competed against each other in the 1970s in the Figaro circuit, and then did the very first Whitbread Round The World Race together on the same boat in 1973. Now, 50 years later, Yann and I - who have been competing against each other for 10 years on Figaros - are doing The Ocean Race together! We had no idea!”

After the start gun, the fleet of five IMOCAs performed a short mandatory course consisting of various reaching marks right before heading to sea. Team Malizia had a late start, crossing the line in fifth position shortly behind the rest of the fleet. As the fleet navigated the inconsistent winds approaching the lee of Sao Vicente, Team Malizia managed to reclaim the lost ground and find themselves in the mix. At the time of this release, Team Malizia are fighting for 3rd and 4th positions with Holcim-PRB. 

“The wind situation is looking super light and tricky to get down to the doldrums, which brings with it even more light wind”, described Will Harris. “The first part of the race is going to be very tactical, and there are a lot of opportunities to make a jump on the fleet, so we will all have to be very switched on right from the word “Go”. When we get further into the race there might be opportunities to come back depending on what the South Atlantic holds in store for us.” This leg is particularly interesting as it will bring the crews through many different weather conditions, from the light and hot doldrums to the cold and stormy southern ocean, they will need to have their wits about them to ensure they arrive in Cape Town in good shape. 

Team Malizia Sailing Crew for Leg 2 of The Ocean Race:

: Schütz, the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, Kuehne+Nagel, and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, and Hapag-Lloyd. These partners band behind Team Malizia to support its 

A Race We Must Win – Climate Action Now!

 mission, each of them working towards projects in their own field to innovate around climate solutions.

Dock out in Cabo Verde (c) Sailing Energy / The Ocean Race

Crew for leg 2 of The Ocean Race (c) Jimmy Horel

Today, at 1710 hours UTC, Malizia - Seaexplorer skippered by Will Harris took the start of stage two of The Ocean Race, which will see the IMOCA fleet sail about 4,000 nautical miles from Mindelo, Cabo Verde, to Cape Town, South Africa. With unusually light wind conditions at the start, the crews can expect difficult strategic choices and a leg duration of about two weeks. 

Fleet in the Leg 2 start in Cabo Verde

Team Malizia Races Towards The South In Leg 2 Of The Ocean Race

START OF LEG 2 FROM CABO VERDE TO CAPETOWN

Mindelo, São Vicente / Cabo Verde, 24 January 2023 - 

Team Malizia is off to a good start. The team embarked on 

 with two goals: to perform at their best on the water and to spread their 

mission on land. Now, after finishing the first leg in Mindelo, Cabo Verde, in third position, 

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

 and exchange with him about the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The symbol of which the team has emblazoned on the sails of their 

to draw particular attention to SDG 13 - Climate Action.

 arranged by The Ocean Race. Speaking to over 300 high-level attendees gathered at the 

, a joint facility of GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (Germany) and the IMar - Instituto do Mar, Guterres stated: “Ending the ocean emergency is a race we must win”, 

 the message Team Malizia carries around the world.

 to New York in order that she could travel emission-free from Europe to New York for the United Nations Climate Action Summit. Antonio Guterres tweeted about her arrival which was met with huge support. This tweet became his most liked tweet of all time and Greta’s arrival and the message she carried around Climate Action had a huge impact in raising awareness and action around the world. 

At the Ocean Summit held yesterday, Boris Herrmann handed over The Ocean Race’s 

Ulisses Correia e Silva, Prime Minister of Cabo Verde, Richard Brisius, Chairman of The Ocean Race, and Antonio Guterres

. The Baton, which Team Malizia sailed aboard their race yacht from Alicante to Mindelo, symbolically links environmental conferences around the world as it passes through the hands of leaders, innovators and ocean advocates, giving the ocean a voice on the critical issues the planet is facing. 

Boris Herrmann on a panel of The Ocean Race Summit on 23 January 2023

Herrmann told them: “During Leg 1, we first had to fight against the storm upwind before sailing downwind and enjoying the Ocean. In the first part, we were seasick, we were struggling, it was hard, sails ripped and broke… I think this is the state we are in regarding the fight for ocean preservation and against climate change. 

We need to change our sails and our course

, and I would like to kindly urge you, all leaders, to spread the message, that we take on this racing attitude that we as sailors have out there to perform, and that is demanding everything from us. It’s an existential experience and very tough but let’s all do what we need to do in this fight against climate change.” The German skipper later participated in a panel discussion with other athletes, such as 

Capeverdean kitesurfing world champion Mito Monteiro

, highlighting how sport can be used to inspire ambitious climate action.

 of Mindelo to the race village to discover the adventure of sailing on 

, to learn about the important role of the Ocean in climate change, and to 

write a wish for the children of the next stopover

 in a book that sails onboard throughout the entire race.

 master programme on climate change and marine sciences in cooperation with GEOMAR. The students originating 

, a mini-laboratory continuously measuring Ocean CO2 levels, and the 

 which they signed and the team will deploy during Leg 2. Their signatures have been added to that of the Alicante school the team meet a few weeks before and will carry their 

 through the ocean for the next four years.

 Local school children during Team Malizia's My Ocean Challenge event in Mindelo

Watch the video below about Team Malizia's sustainability acitivities in Mindelo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF5kRYR8VZQ&feature=youtu.be

More information about our education program: 

https://www.team-malizia.com/category/education

https://www.team-malizia.com/category/science

Boris Herrmann and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres 

 A Race We Must Win: Boris Herrmann meets United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

Famous French sailor Yann Eliès will be sailing aboard Malizia - Seaexplorer during the second leg of the round-the-world race, as Boris Herrmann sustained a foot injury during Leg 1. Briton Will Harris will take over the role of skipper for this part of the race.

Mindelo, São Vicente / Cabo Verde, 22 January 2023 -

severe burn on his foot from boiling water during Leg 1,

 shortly before arriving in Mindelo. After seeking medical treatment in hospital, Boris Herrmann was advised by 

, official doctor and medical advisor to Team Malizia since 2019, to 

not participate in the second leg of The Ocean Rac

 while at sea. The German sailor is continuing to receive medical treatment and is 

“I’m really sad not to sail this leg with my team, especially after the success of Leg 1”, explains 

. “I am more motivated than ever to compete but 

. Luckily, world-famous and our long-time coach 

 will jump in to cover for me in this part of the race. I will now travel directly to South Africa to be with my wife and daughter and recover in order to be ready to take on the challenge of Leg 3 in the Southern Ocean. I will use the time onshore to 

work closely with our performance group, analyse the boat data and prepare the debrief

 for the sailor’s arrival in Cape Town. I’m excited to welcome the team in a strong position in South Africa.”

 sooner than expected in the race. “It was always the plan for Leg 4, which was the leg Boris did not intend to do”, explains the British sailor. I wish it would have been in different circumstances but our 

 and we will make Boris and our team proud. I am looking forward to sailing with Yann again, it was great to do the delivery from Guadeloupe to Alicante with him onboard, 

he brings a lot of experience to the team

“I am super motivated to join the crew on this second leg of The Ocean Race”, explains 

, push the boat, and fight for a great position in the race.” 

TEAM MALIZIA SAILING CREW FOR LEG 2 - CABO VERDE TO CAPE TOWN:

: Hapag-Lloyd, Schütz, the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, Kuehne+Nagel, and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. These partners band behind Team Malizia to support its 

Team Malizia taking third place in Leg 1 of The Ocean Race

Foot Injury Prevents Boris Herrmann From Participating In Leg 2 Of The Ocean Race, Yann Eliès To Replace Him

Boris Herrmann Not Participating In Leg 2 Of The Ocean Race

Boris Herrmann, Will Harris, Rosalin Kuiper, Nico Lunven

. The crew arrived in Mindelo, Cabo Verde, at 07:35:21 UTC on 21 January 2023 after an elapsed time of 5 days 16 hours 35 minutes and 21 seconds.

 to the previous boat in fast downwind sailing angles in the Atlantic, after facing intense and challenging weather conditions exiting the Mediterranean. Securing a podium finish in the 

 of the crewed round-the-world race is a very satisfying reward for the team that invested a 

 in their pre-race preparations, having only replaced their damaged foils a week before the start.  

“I’m super happy with the performance of the boat and the team,” said an overjoyed 

 as he stepped onto the pontoon. “We got through the tough Gibraltar Strait and out of the Mediterranean very well. We used the 

, which is very rare on an IMOCA and my first time in over 10 years! We found some good speed and caught up with the two leaders. It took nearly three days before we could even speak to each other as the boat was so loud and brutal in the tough conditions after the start. Then we started an almost champagne sailing situation, quite fast and nice. 

Our adventure in The Ocean Race starts really well.

As she was approaching the Cape Verdean islands, 

 at times on her new and under-tested set of foils, catching up with 11th Hour Racing Team’s yacht in a 

. “We were celebrating the hourly updates, seeing we were gaining a few miles”, recounts Boris Herrmann. “We then had an 

 last night, we were sailing into the sunset after a jibe and we got the drone out, all looking at the drone screen while Antoine was filming, with Will on the pilot. Antoine was saying “Can you go faster Will?!” and Will replied, “I’m going 30 knots, what more do you want me to do?!”. We were going straight into the sunset, with spray all over, the sun and rainbows around the boat… That’s when you realise 

… We lost the drone though! We don’t have any footage of this but it will stay in our memories” said a cheerful Herrmann.

The sailing crew will now rest for a few days, complete a few checks on the boat and make some repairs themselves whilst meeting the Capeverdian public before the 

 In Cabo Verde, as in every stopover, Team Malizia will be spreading their 

 message, raising awareness amongst children about ocean protection and climate change through their 

 educational programme. Skipper Boris Herrmann will be a panel speaker at The Ocean Race Ocean Summit on 23 January.

The team’s mission is only possible due to the strong and long-lasting commitment from its seven main partners: MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Hapag-Lloyd, Schütz, the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, and Kuehne+Nagel. These partners band behind Team Malizia to support its 

Malizia - Seaexplorer just after she crossed the finish line of Leg 1 of The Ocean Race in third position

Team Malizia Accomplishes A Podium Finish In Leg 1 Of The Ocean Race

 took the start of the 60,000 km-long crewed race around the world. The first leg is leading the fleet of five IMOCAs from Alicante, Spain to Mindelo, Cabo Verde, with an expected duration of about six days.

This Sunday afternoon, Team Malizia’s sailing crew comprised of 

surrounded by the team, friends, family members, and more than 50,000 visitors witnessing the dockside farewells. The newly built race yacht docked out at 14:29 hours CET to the sound of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”, soon embarking on her first race around the globe. 

The programme for Sunday’s start was an inshore course almost identical to last week’s Inport Race, before heading towards Mindelo. 

, Biotherm crossing the start line first, Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia in fourth position. They raced in 

, before bearing away towards mark 2. Biotherm kept their lead, passing both marks first. Soon after, GUYOT Environnement - Team Europe struggled with their J0 causing them to lose their position whilst they dealt with the problem. 

 passed mark 3 in fourth position, flying by the Malizia supporters cheering from a chartered ferry. As the fleet sailed in the direction of the island of Tabarca, Team Malizia and 11th Hour Racing Team exchanged for the third and fourth positions.

The fleet will have an easy early evening of reaching, before encountering a 

tricky weather transition with light winds

 explained before the start: “The northwesterly winds will allow us to sail quite fast reaching angles down to the southeastern corner of Spain. Going into tonight, we will have to fight our way through the light winds, not sleeping much, and 

. Finally, once we get through this transition, we will be hit by the strong westerlies funnelling through the Alboran Sea, slowing our progress to Gibraltar as we tack upwind in a heavy sea state and up to 40 knots of wind.”

 for the crew skippered by Boris Herrmann, as they try to make tactical decisions whilst also preserving the condition of their 

. “The boat exciting the Mediterranean in the lead will be in a great position, able to use the strong trade wind situation to their advantage, and propelling them on a fast sailing angle towards Cabo Verde”, explains Will Harris.

As of 21:00 hours CET this Sunday evening, 

, however, Leg 1 and the race around the world have only just begun.

Team Malizia will be sharing the adventure of the race across all their channels and launching a 

 following the team during The Ocean Race. They will also be spreading their 

 message as they sail around the world, raising awareness amongst children about ocean protection and climate change through their 

. They will run their onboard mini laboratory, embarking on the race with the aim of collecting their second set of rare ocean CO2 data around the world.

This mission is only possible due to the strong and long-lasting commitment from Team Malizia’s 

: Kuehne+Nagel, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Hapag-Lloyd, Schütz, the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, and Zurich Group Germany. These partners band behind Team Malizia to support its 

The international sailing team skippered by Boris Herrmann has embarked on the legendary round-the-world race, facing human, technological and sporting challenges onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer over the next six months.

Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia Gets Off To A Flying Start In The Ocean Race

Leg 1 start

With less than 24 hours to go, Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia is ready to start the round-the-world race, competing against four other IMOCA race yachts. Here is everything that you need to know on how to follow the race.

 It is almost time. Tomorrow at 16:00 pm, the IMOCA fleet will depart from Alicante, Spain, for Mindelo, Cabo Verde, competing in the first leg of The Ocean Race 2022-23.

Sunday 15 January 2023, at 1600 hours CET

Malizia - Seaexplorer flying on her new foils

D-1 Day Before The Start Of The Ocean Race

The international sailing team skippered by Boris Herrmann crossed the finish line of the Alicante In-Port race first, kicking off The Ocean Race on a high note. 

 - After a hard month of refit, replacing damaged foils and getting the boat ready for 

 in the first inshore event of the race. 

The team got off to a very slow start, in third place over the starting line and then dropping back into fourth place during the first few legs. As the fleet started to go upwind, 

 higher angle allowed the crew to catch and 

eventually overtake the other competitors

The crew managed to keep the lead by sailing cleanly, making the best use out of the 

« On n’est jamais à l’abri d’une bonne surprise ! » [there can always be a good surprise], said 

 as he stepped off the boat this Sunday evening. “I’m super happy that we got wind to sail, I wasn’t sure if they would postpone the race but we got a good breeze. The 

, the crew was really calm, working nicely together, 

of The Ocean Race is next Sunday, on 15 January 2023, and will see the 5 IMOCA boats race to 

. Team Malizia will be sharing the adventure of the race across all their channels, and spreading their 

A Race We Must Win – Climate Action Now

! message as they sail around the world, raising awareness amongst children about ocean protection and climate change through its 

. They will run their onboard mini laboratory, embarking on the race with the aim of collecting their second set of rare 

: Zurich Group Germany, Kuehne+Nagel, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Hapag-Lloyd, Schütz, the Yacht Club de Monaco, and EFG International. These partners band behind Team Malizia to support its 

! mission, each of them working towards projects in their own field to innovate around climate solutions.

Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia Wins The Ocean Race’s First In-Port Race

L'équipe internationale de course au large menée par Boris Herrmann a franchi la ligne d'arrivée de la course In-Port d'Alicante en première position, donnant ainsi le coup d'envoi de The Ocean Race sur une bonne note. 

 - Après un dur mois de chantier, un remplacement de foils endommagés et de préparation intense du bateau pour 

, la Team Malizia de Boris Herrmann célèbre une 

 dans la première épreuve inshore de cet événement. 

Passant la ligne de départ en troisième position, l’équipe s’est retrouvée quatrième à la première bouée du parcours. Lorsque la flotte a commencé sa remontée au vent, la performance de 

rattraper et de dépasser les autres concurrents

, arrivant en tête à la quatrième bouée. 

L'équipage a réussi à garder son avantage en naviguant proprement, utilisant au mieux 

ses tout nouveaux foils pour pousser le bateau

"On n'est jamais à l'abri d'une bonne surprise !", a déclaré 

 en débarquant du bateau ce dimanche soir. "Je suis super content que nous ayons eu du vent pour naviguer, je me demandais s’ils allaient reporter la course mais nous avons eu une bonne brise. Le bateau était 

 aujourd'hui, je suis un marin heureux !"

 de The Ocean Race sera donné dimanche prochain, le 15 janvier 2023, et verra les cinq IMOCA s’élancer en direction de 

. Team Malizia partagera l'aventure de cette course sur tous ses canaux de communication et répandra son message 

A Race We Must Win - Climate Action Now !

 en naviguant autour du monde. L’équipe sensibilisera les enfants à la protection des océans et au changement climatique grâce à son 

 dans le but de collecter autour du monde une deuxième série de données sur le 