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Boris Herrmann

Will Harris

Francesca Clapcich

Cole Brauer

Flore Hartout

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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The renowned sensor manufacturer ifm and the international offshore racing Team Malizia, led by skipper Boris Herrmann, announce their technical partnership focussed on advancing data-driven offshore racing technology.

Team Malizia and German industrial automation specialist ifm have entered into a technical partnership focused on innovation and performance in offshore racing. As part of the collaboration, ifm is equipping Team Malizia’s newest IMOCA racing yacht with advanced sensors that deliver real-time insights into key onboard systems. The aim is to support performance optimisation and safety at sea, while 

demonstrating the capabilities of ifm's sensor technology. Together, the partners show that precise, stable and reliable data acquisition and availability are possible even under the most extreme conditions. 

“These boats are prototypes and there are already many data variables we monitor constantly”, comments skipper Boris Herrmann. “But offshore racing at this level is about chasing performance in every small margin, and every new piece of reliable information helps us better understand the boat and how to optimise it. Innovation is essential, but the technology also has to work reliably in some very demanding conditions. That’s why ifm is such an important partner for us.”

Team Malizia’s IMOCA yacht is currently entering the final stages of its build and is expected to launch at the end of June. Sensor systems are already being installed and will be tested in real conditions shortly after launch. The system includes multiple types of sensors across different areas of the boat, measuring a wide range of parameters. One key application is pressure sensors used to precisely monitor the volume of water in the ballast tanks, a factor that directly influences boat balance and performance.

“We find with the forward and aft ballast tanks the sailors can have gains in performance by not using the entire volume of the tank and knowing exactly how much is in the tank allows them to tune this amount for optimum performance,” says Team Malizia technical adviser Jesse Naimark-Rowse.

Another key development is the implementation of ifm’s innovative radar sensors. Through this technology, Team Malizia will be able to monitor the flying height and attitude of their new IMOCA. This capability of using multiple robust and accurate radar sensors on the foiling platform has potential to give the team a significant performance boost. “As the IMOCA boats become ever faster and flight is possible in an increasing range of conditions, the data acquisition and analysis of the flight behaviour is a critical factor”, explains Jesse Naimark-Rowse. “Access to innovative technology such as the ifm R1D100 radar sensor, combined with the expert technical support from the ifm teams during integration, is a real game changer.”

Further sensor applications are being integrated across other systems on board, with additional development planned in the coming years. These include areas linked to energy management, sustainability and safety.

All the ifm sensors on board will transmit data to ifm’s moneo Cloud platform in real time. Pre-processed directly within the onboard system, the data can be reliably transmitted even in the most remote parts of the world and under extreme offshore racing conditions. This demonstrates how sensors operating in highly remote environments can still provide shore-based teams with access not only to live data, but also to active analytics.

On board, the sailors benefit from accurate real-time insights to better understand and optimise the boat’s performance. For the shore team, the continuous stream of data provides valuable material for debriefing and post-race analysis, allowing them to assess the IMOCA’s performance and reliability and begin developing improvements before the boat even reaches the dock.

“Together with Team Malizia, we demonstrate that ifm sensors and the moneo Cloud operate reliably even under the most extreme conditions”, says ifm co-CEO Martin Buck. “This partnership provides valuable practical insights and is a logical step towards further strengthening our technological leadership.”

Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Essen, Germany, ifm is a global industrial automation and sensor technology company. The family-owned business develops sensors, control systems, and IIoT software widely used in manufacturing, robotics, and Industry 4.0 applications, including position, fluid, vision, and safety systems.

The technical partnership will support Team Malizia’s racing programme over the coming years, including The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026, The Ocean Race 2027, and ultimately preparation for the Vendée Globe 2028 campaign. 

Under real-world extreme conditions, this collaboration delivers valuable insights for the continuous sporting development of Team Malizia and marks another significant step towards sustainably strengthening ifm's technological leadership.

Boris Herrmann sitting in the sail locker of Team Malizia's next IMOCA which is currently being built in Lorient

Boris Herrmann sitting in the sail locker of Team Malizia's next IMOCA which is currently being built in Lorient ©️ Flore Hartout | 

Boris Herrmann with an ifm sensor during the new build of Team Malizia's next IMOCA

Connor Banks installing the electronics on Team Malizia’s new IMOCA as electrification work accelerates with six weeks to go

Connor Banks installing the electronics on Team Malizia’s new IMOCA as electrification work accelerates with six weeks to go ©️ Flore Hartout | 

From a passion, to an idea, to success. Since its foundation in 1969, ifm has developed, produced and sold sensors, controllers, software and systems for industrial automation and for SAP-based solutions for supply chain management and shop floor integration worldwide. As one of the pioneers of Industry 4.0, ifm develops and implements consistent solutions to digitalise the entire value chain “from sensor to ERP”. Today, the second-generation family-run ifm group has more than 9,120 employees, including more than 5,260 in Germany, and is one of the worldwide market leaders. The group combines the internationality and innovative strength of a growing group of companies with the flexibility and close customer contact of a medium-sized company. 

Team Malizia is an international offshore sailing team, skippered by German sailor Boris Herrmann. The team competes in the biggest offshore races around the world and uses this unique platform, to communicate the excitement of our sport and to inspire ambitious climate action. Our slogan and logo combines both facets of our identity: A Race We Must Win – Climate Action Now! accompanied by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals wheel on the sails of our IMOCA racing yacht.

The team has four main pillars to the campaign – sailing, science, education and partnerships which are co-dependant on each other for success. We raise awareness by collecting ocean climate data, educating the public and children on scientific and climate change topics with an education programme in 11 languages and by partnering with companies, NGOs, scientists and institutions to achieve change and further our mission. 

A Race We Must Win – Climate Action Now!

 mission is only possible due to the strong and long-lasting commitment from its 

: the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, Hapag-Lloyd, Schütz, and KPMG Germany. These partners band behind Team Malizia to support its campaign, each of them working towards projects in their own field to innovate around climate solutions.

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