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Boris Herrmann

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’s skipper Boris Herrmann crossed the line of the Retour à La Base transatlantic solo race in fourth position this Sunday 10 December 2023. The German sailed 4,490 nautical miles from the Caribbean to Brittany, overcame a series of issues, managed to hold on to his place, and to achieve a top 5 finish in his first solo race of the year. After an intense 2023 season, this performance gave the offshore sailor and his team a good boost of energy and motivation for the year ahead.

 - What a way to end the 2023 season! Team Malizia’s 

 transatlantic solo race in an admirable 

. The German skipper crossed the finish line in Lorient, France, this Sunday 10 December 2023 at 13:02 local time after 9 days, 20 hours, 2 minutes, and 41 seconds alone at sea. “I am really happy with how we did in this race, fourth place is a fantastic result but I’m even more happy with how fast the boat was, especially in the downwind conditions, and with how good I felt sailing solo again”, said 

This year’s Retour à La Base was the inaugural edition of the race but also the 

 for Boris Herrmann and many of his 31 competitors. Having departed Fort-de-France in Martinique on the 30th of November, he raced across the Atlantic to Brittany onboard his 

yacht, sailing 4,490 nautical miles at an average speed of 19.02 knots.

“The most important thing for me before the race, apart from the pure ranking, was the training aspect and to learn more about the boat and myself when sailing solo", said the

. "Today, I feel that I achieved that goal. And obviously I am super happy about finishing in fourth place! A top five result was an optimistic thing to achieve because of the level in the class - but we did it! Of course, there’s many factors involved, including others’ misfortunes, but the boat performed incredibly well, I felt good sailing solo again, and the result shows what a great job we did as a team this year.”

He added: “This was my second single-handed race onboard 

 and a bit like a revenge to my unfortunate Route du Rhum last year when we had problems with the foils and I couldn’t push the boat anymore. Now, we really showed her potential. In 

, even when I didn’t push her as much, she was still half a knot or more faster than others. And she doesn’t do these brutal nose dives and stops like other boats. This is very promising for the Vendée Globe solo around the world race at the end of next year.”

The Retour à La Base was the perfect opportunity for the offshore sailor to 

: “I didn’t have any troubles with feeling lonely this time, I felt quite good onboard.” He added: “The race was exciting all along, with a good flow. I could see competitors on the AIS 10 miles away from me. You get an instant sense of competition from that and it’s really motivating too.”

However, it was not all smooth sailing for Boris Herrmann. Sailors push their high-tech yachts to the limit, in strong winds and relentlessly slamming waves, and every team and skipper expects some issues, big or small, during a race like this one. On Day 6, Boris Herrmann was confronted with a 

: first he struggled to start the engine to generate electricity, then he noticed that both cockpit drain covers had broken, leading to seawater entering the cockpit. The experienced sailor put a Sikaflex ring around the plug in the drain as a temporary solution, but with the water still entering from elsewhere like exits, hatches, and rope tunnels, Boris Herrmann spent hours every day bailing the water out of the cockpit. He risked using the port hydrogenerator, which worked for a while, with surfs at 30 knots, the hydrogenerator soon ripped off. 

These issues didn’t lead him to lose places in the ranking, but having to slow down for repairs, meant he could not stay East of the 

 anymore and was overtaken by it. Boris Herrmann was then sailing in less wind than the first three boats and suddenly lost almost a day in his estimated time of arrival (ETA). “This was the hardest part to manage besides the cruel lack of sleep, the disappointment of dragging behind the front pack, not being able to score the goal and bring it home. But performing well in solo mode is also about how you deal with these issues mentally. How do you go on after having fixed things? This was good training, also with the Vendée Globe in mind. As Michel Desjoyeaux famously said, the Vendée Globe is one problem per day. I stayed confident that I could fix them, took things step by step, managed to sleep again and eat and drink enough to stay on my toes and keep my spirits high for the remainder of the race.” 

 like Damien Seguin (APICIL), Samantha Davies (Initiatives Cœur), Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée), and his Ocean Race team mate Nicolas Lunven (Holcim-PRB). He arrived 19 hours, 58 minutes, and 53 seconds after race winner Yoann Richomme on Paprec Arkéa. Jérémie Beyou (Charal) finished second and Sam Goodchild (For The Planet) completed the podium in third in Lorient. “I saw 37 knots of boat speed yesterday, with an average speed of 26 knots over five minutes, that is pretty cool”, said Boris Herrmann with a smile on his tired face.

“Soon, I’ll be going back to Germany for commercial commitments and then I’ll take some time off with my family at the beginning of the year. The boat will go in for a winter refit and we will relaunch her with a 

 to start the 2024 season in April with the Transat CIC and the New York-Vendée transatlantic solo races. And then, in November, I’ll be ready for my second Vendée Globe. 2023 was a great year for our team, and we are all curious to see what 2024 has in store for us!”

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

: EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, Kuehne+Nagel, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Hapag-Llyod, Schütz, and the Yacht Club de Monaco. 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.

Boris Herrmann just after crossing the finish line in fourth place ©️ Anne Beaugé / Retour à La Base

, a boat for high potential for the Vendée Globe next year ©️ Anne Beaugé / Retour à La Base

Boris Herrmann, happy about Team Malizia's 2023 season ©️ Jean-Louis Carli / Alea / Retour à La Base

Team Malizia celebrating Boris Herrmann's fourth place finish in Lorient ©️ Jean-Louis Carli / Alea / Retour à La Base

Boris Herrmann finished the Retour à La Base race in an admirable fourth place

“What A Year, What A Race” Boris Herrmann Happy About Fourth-Place Finish In Retour à La Base Solo Race

This Thursday, Team Malizia’s skipper Boris Herrmann crossed the start line of the Retour à La Base race in the front row, and is now back to racing in solo mode on his Malizia - Seaexplorer yacht. The race will see the IMOCA fleet sail 3500 nautical miles across the Atlantic from Martinique to Brittany and is expected to last 8 to 10 days.

Fort-de-France, Martinique, 30 November 2023 -

 What a start! After a year of crewed and double-handed races, 

 has kicked off his first solo race of the season with a bang. At 12:00 pm local time (17:00 CET) this Thursday 30 November 2023, the German skipper was amongst the first of his 31 competitors to push his IMOCA race yacht over the start line of the 

, Brittany, where many IMOCA teams including Team Malizia are based.

This year’s Retour à La Base is the inaugural edition of the race but also the 

 for Boris Herrmann and many of his competitors. Only 11 days ago, Boris Herrmann and co-skipper Will Harris crossed the finish line of the double-handed 

 in the bay of Fort-de-France in a strong seventh place. Today, the German skipper is already back on board his race yacht, and after a 

great start in the front row at the pin end

 heading towards the iconic Diamant rock.

 moments before he stepped on board his Malizia - Seaexplorer race yacht this morning. “I am looking forward to starting this race. I've really found the hunger to sail alone again. Everything has gone well this year. We have sailed a fantastic Ocean Race, had a good second half of the season with improvements to the boat, the boat is now sailing even faster than before. I feel well prepared and supported by an amazing team that has put in a lot of effort in the past months and I want to make them proud.”

 added: “I think we have the chance to do very well in this race and I'm keen to go out there. The last solo race I did across the Atlantic was a bit stressful because the boat was still very new and we started The Ocean Race just right after, so everything had to go well. Now, we are kind of free to sail how we want and we don’t have such a big outside pressure or stress. Some of our competitors have to do this race to qualify for the Vendée Globe next year, but I don’t have to because I already sailed the single-handed Route du Rhum race last year.”

Regarding what he wants to achieve in this transatlantic race, 

 explained: “Today, we are 32 competitors at the start line and I really want to be in the top 10 when we cross the finish line in 8 to 10 days, and I hope to finish a little better than tenth. The most important thing for me, apart from the pure ranking, is the training aspect and to learn more about the boat and myself. To know where I stand, that the boat is reliable, that I feel good on board, confident and strong. This winter - before the season starts again in April next year with two further solo transatlantic races - we will have four months to build on whatever we learn now and build on it in the further preparation for the Vendée Globe. The Retour à La Base will be my first real single-handed race with this boat and an important first test, so to speak.”

As the fleet rounds Martinique, they will have to navigate the many obstacles around the Caribbean island, with reefs, capes, nets, exclusion zones in their path. They will also have to manage currents and wind-swept areas created by the topography of the Montagne Pelée volcano, before heading into the North Atlantic. “The race is meteorologically interesting”, commented

 before the start. “During the more or less first 20% of the race course, we will have northeasterly trade winds and we will be sailing northwards high on the wind, but still relatively fast.”

 added: “Then, we will pass a high pressure zone and after that it will be really exciting: We will have three large areas of low pressure that will take us to the other side of the Atlantic, one after the other, with strong cold fronts, strong winds of up to 50 knots and 10 metre waves, if we were to take the direct route. Some competitors will certainly head south to find milder conditions and that is where the race will play out. The conditions we will see in the Retour à La Base are quite similar to those we expect in the Southern Ocean during the Vendée Globe and are therefore a perfect test for us.”

As they race from the Caribbean heat to the European cold, the fleet will have to sail through 

. These have been put in place in case the weather conditions towards the arrival are too bad and the race needs to be shortened. In that case, the order of passage through the gate would become the final ranking.

With a big smile on his face, Boris Herrmann waved to the cockpit camera streaming his start live from onboard 

 for his friends, family partners and fans: “Hi to everyone, it’s a nice view from here, we managed to get away from the others. I’m very happy with the pin end start, now it’s going to be a bit tricky through the light passage, I hope to sneak through it and catch the wind on the other side. A really nice start for many, cheers! ” At the time of this publication, Team Malizia’s skipper is 

currently in the lead with first position

: the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, Kuehne+Nagel, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Hapag-Llyod, and Schütz. 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.

Boris Herrmann is back to sailing solo ©️ Qaptur / Team Malizia

 with most of the fleet in the rearview mirror at the start of the Retour à La Base race in Martinique ©️ Qaptur / Team Malizia

Boris Herrmann, moments before taking the start of his first solo race in 2023 ©️ Qaptur / Team Malizia

Boris Herrmann and his Malizia - Seaexplorer are off to a great start in the Retour à La Base solo race

“I Really Found The Hunger To Sail Alone Again”, Boris Herrmann Is Back to Racing Solo In Retour à La Base

Fort-de-France, Martinique, 29 November 2023 -

 The time for the last race of the 2023 season has come: Boris Herrmann and 31 of his IMOCA competitors will take the start of the 

 at 12:00 pm local time in Fort-de-France, Martinique (17:00 CET). Only 11 days after crossing the finish line of the Transat Jacques Vabre double-handed race, Team Malizia's skipper Boris Herrmann and his 

 race yacht are ready to set sail again, back across the Atlantic and this time in solo mode.

The first solo race of 2023, and the first out of three solo races before the start of the Vendée Globe next year, will see the fleet race 

, Brittany, where most IMOCA teams - including Team Malizia - have their technical base.

everything you need to know on how to follow the start

 of the first edition of the Retour à La Base race this Thursday 30 November. And as for any race start or arrival, we will send a press release along with photos of the day, VNR interviews of Boris Herrmann in German and English for TV, a hardcut with content of the day (on land, onboard, and on the water), as well as audio recordings for radio!

The time for the last race of the 2023 season has come: Boris Herrmann and 31 of his IMOCA competitors will take the start of the Retour à La Base race on Thursday 30 November at 12:00 pm local time in Fort-de-France, Martinique (17:00 CET). Only 11 days after crossing the finish line of the Transat Jacques Vabre double-handed race, Team Malizia's skipper Boris Herrmann and his Malizia - Seaexplorer race yacht are ready to set sail again, back across the Atlantic and this time in solo mode.

Malizia - Seaexplorer rounding the iconic Diamant as she arrived in Martinique during the Transat Jacques Vabre race on 19th November 2023

Retour à La Base: How To Follow The Start Of Boris Herrmann's First Solo Race In 2023

As close as it gets to a photo finish in IMOCA racing - that is how intense it was in today’s Transat Jacques Vabre race arrival in the bay of Fort-de-France, when Team Malizia’s Boris Herrmann and Will Harris crossed the finish line in seventh place, only minutes behind some of their closest competitors. 

 - Boris Herrmann and Will Harris finished the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023 in 

 after an exciting match race around Martinique which came right down to the finish line. The Team Malizia duo crossed the finish line in the bay of Fort-de-France at 

 (13:31 local time) only a few boat lengths away from Justine Mettraux and Julien Villion onboard 

, who grabbed sixth place 1 minute and 5 seconds prior. 

 across the Atlantic from Le Havre, Normandy, to the French island in the Caribbean in 12 days, 9 hours, 1 minute, and 3 seconds. They arrived only 11 hours, 28 minutes, and 32 seconds after race winner Thomas Ruyant and Morgan Lagravière on the For People IMOCA boat. 

The podium places had been decided in the early hours of Sunday morning with Paprec Arkéa, skippered by Yoann Richhomme and Team Malizia’s Ocean Race crew member Yann Eliès, in second place, and Sam Goodchild and Antoine Koch’s For The Planet in third place. The 

, however, kept on intensifying into midday. Four boats coming from the northern and southern route, including 

, crossing it in just over 30 minutes of each other.

“We were contemplating whether to sail the northern route in the first days, as it seemed that it could be the faster option”, explained 

. “We decided that South was the way to go, as we wanted to race closely to the majority of the fleet. Besides hoping to win by taking this route, one of our main objectives was to stick with the majority of the fleet - we had already covered a lot of miles on our boat, but we hadn't really been able to measure ourselves against the most recent IMOCA yachts yet. We showed that we are strong competitors, that our boat is fast in downwind conditions, and can be strong in the Vendée Globe. In that sense, we achieved our sporting goal for this race. Our top 7 finish is satisfying, but we think we learned that we can improve even further and have the results of upcoming races reflect that.”

The Team Malizia duo had eagerly started the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre after a 

 to huge storms rolling across the Atlantic. With 40 IMOCA yachts on the start line and 

 facing off against some of her newly built competitors for the first time, the race was guaranteed to be exciting - and as it turns out, delivered exactly that from start to finish!

Boris Herrmann and Will Harris set off in 20 to 25 knots of wind with a complicated sea state, sailing in rough upwind conditions. The first 24 hours of the race saw many IMOCA casualties very early on with top wind speeds of 45 knots and six boats having to retire or stop for repairs. On day 2, the Team Malizia duo faced 

 with the autopilot not receiving all the necessary data to function and then the second autopilot also not working properly. That made it very challenging to continue sailing as these boats are not designed to be hand-steered for long periods of time. Boris Herrmann and Will Harris had to stop the boat to try to reconfigure the data sources, and after even contemplating if a stop in Spain was necessary, the team managed to fix the issues and continue racing albeit losing six places in the rankings.

As the boats made their way South there were two routes to decide between, the Southerly route down through the Canary Islands or the Westerly route taking the boats through the Azores. A group with only two foiling boats led by Justine Mettraux split from the fleet, sailing West to take the North route. “In no other regatta in the world, could we have had such a North/South split over more than 1000 nautical miles and then arrive so close together”, commented 

. “I think we were 40 miles behind Justine and Julien when they went West, and now we arrived just over 1 minute behind them! We are happy with our decision.”

"It was really nice to do this race again with Boris”, said co-skipper 

. “We have such a natural way of sailing together now and we have a lot of trust in each other as well. He can go into the next races with a lot of confidence in the boat. We've shown now that it can keep up with these with the new generation of foilers and if it makes the right choices, he's really got a nice performance, a good shot at podiums in the next races. So I think it's a really good place to be.”

“With Sam Davies in fourth place, Justine Mettraux grabbing sixth place, and Clarisse Crémer maybe taking ninth place soon, it looks like 

three female skippers will be in the top 10

 of this year’s Transat Jacques Vabre. This is a really, really fantastic result and shows the level in the class”, added 

. “The competition is fierce, the boats and crews are strong, anything can happen over the upcoming races. That is really motivating and great for our sport, I’m excited about what’s next.”

After celebrating the arrival with the team and taking a few days rest surrounded by his family, Boris Herrmann will be back on board 

 A Race We Must Win - Climate Action Now!

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

: Schütz, the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, Kuehne+Nagel, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, and Hapag-Llyod. 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.

 fought an intense battle until the finish line against 

, arriving only 1 minute and 5 seconds later © Jean-Marie Liot

 after the finish in Martinique © Marie Lefloch / Team Malizia

Boris Herrmann and Will Harris © Marie Lefloch / Team Malizia

Boris Herrmann and Will Harris finished the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023 in seventh place

Intense Racing Until The Finish Line - Boris Herrmann and Will Harris Seventh in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023

»Allein zwischen Himmel und Meer«, so hieß der Bestseller-Erfolg des Segel-Stars 

 über die Abenteuer der Vendée Globe 2020-2021.

Dieses Jahr kämpfte Boris Herrmann wieder um einen Regattasieg, doch dieses Mal nicht allein: Gemeinsam mit einer Frau und drei Männern nahm er von Januar bis Juli am 

 teil, dem wohl härtesten Team-Wettbewerb der Welt. Am Ende konnte die Crew den dritten Platz belegen, die längste Etappe des Ocean Race gewinnen und mit der Malizia – Seaexplorer im Nordatlantik einen neuen Geschwindigkeits-Weltrekord aufstellen.

, das heute bei C.Bertelsmann erscheint, nehmen Boris Herrmann und Andreas Wolfers uns mit auf ein Rennen um die Welt, sechs Monate lang mit einer fünfköpfigen Crew.

Das Ocean Race ist der härteste Teamwettbewerb im Segeln, vielleicht sogar der ganzen Sportwelt. 2023 geht die 

 des deutschen Spitzenseglers Boris Herrmann an den Start. Boris und Rosalin, Will, Nico und Antoine treiben die neue Rennyacht mit höchster Geschwindigkeit durch die Weiten der Ozeane, in sieben Etappen einmal um die Erde, vom Start in Alicante bis zum Finale in Genua. Dabei muss das Team monatelang auf wenigen Quadratmetern miteinander auskommen und rund um die Uhr zusammenarbeiten. Die Route stellt die Teams vor enorme mentale und körperliche Herausforderungen und bringt auch die Boote an ihre Grenzen.

Auf der anspruchsvollste Etappe von Kapstadt aus durch das Südpolarmeer an Kap Hoorn vorbei nach Itajaí in Brasilien reißt der Mast ein und muss in fast 30 Meter Höhe repariert werden, ein Segel geht über Bord, vor Kap Hoorn wird Rosalin aus der Koje geschleudert – doch am Ende gewinnen Boris und seine Crew die längste Etappe in der Geschichte des Ocean Race. Im Nordatlantik stellt die 

 einen Geschwindigkeitsweltrekord auf, vor Genua erreicht sie dank geschickter Navigation als Erste das Ziel der letzten Etappe.

Boris Herrmann und Andreas Wolfers erzählen in ihrem neuen Buch die atemlose Geschichte des Ocean Race 2023 und schildern die großartige Teamarbeit, die nicht nur auf dem Wasser, sondern auch an Land dazugehört, um ein Boot wie die 

Das Buch enthält zahlreiche Farbfotos von Bord der 

DAS BUCH IST AB JETZT IN IHREM LIEBLINGSBUCHLADEN VERFÜGBAR ODER ONLINE 

 geboren 1981 in Oldenburg, ist der bekannteste deutsche Segler. Der Profisportler nahm Ende 2020 an der Vendée Globe teil, einer Regatta für Solo-Segler, die nonstop um die Erde führt. Sein Buch über das Rennen, »Allein zwischen Himmel und Meer«, wurde ein großer Bestsellererfolg. 2023 startete Herrmann mit einer neuen Rennyacht und einem vierköpfigen Team beim Ocean Race. Gemeinsam mit seiner Frau Birte Lorenzen-Herrmann und seinem Team Malizia betreibt er das internationale Bildungsprojekt 

, geboren 1958, arbeitete 13 Jahre als Reporter beim Magazin GEO, war Textchef des STERN und leitete die Henri-Nannen-Journalistenschule in Hamburg. Wolfers segelt seit seiner Kindheit, auch den Atlantik hat er schon überquert. Wie den Bestseller »Allein zwischen Himmel und Meer« hat er das Buch über das Ocean Race gemeinsam mit Boris Herrmann verfasst. Wolfers reiste mit dem Team Malizia zu allen Zwischenstopps, während der Wettfahrten schickten Herrmann und seine Crew ihm regelmäßig Sprachnachrichten von See.

Boris Herrmann, Andreas Wolfers, Abenteuer Ocean Race, C.Bertelsmann, 28,00 € (D), 28,80 € (A), CHF 37,90*, HC, , 352 Seiten, Erscheinungstermin: 15.11.2023

Für Interviewanfragen und Rezensionsexemplare:

resse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit Sachbuch

»Allein zwischen Himmel und Meer«, so hieß der Bestseller-Erfolg des Segel-Stars Boris Herrmann und des renommierten Journalisten Andreas Wolfers über die Abenteuer der Vendée Globe 2020-2021. In ihrem neuen Buch »Abenteuer Ocean Race«, das heute bei C.Bertelsmann erscheint, nehmen Boris Herrmann und Andreas Wolfers uns mit auf ein Rennen um die Welt, sechs Monate lang mit einer fünfköpfigen Crew.

Boris Herrmann onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer holding his new book co-written with Andreas Wolfers about Team Malizia's Ocean Race

"Abenteuer Ocean Race", eine neue literarische Reise von Boris Herrmann und Andreas Wolfers

, unveiled their latest literary triumph, 

 which is set to launch on November 15th, 2023, published by C.Bertelsmann. Following the success of their bestseller "Alone Between Sky and Sea," recounting Boris’ adventures of the Vendée Globe 2020-2021, this dynamic duo now takes readers on an exhilarating six-month journey around the world with a five-member crew in 

The Ocean Race, considered the toughest team competition in sailing and possibly the entire sports world, sees Herrmann's 

setting sail in 2023. The narrative unfolds across seven stages, covering the globe from Alicante to Genoa, pushing both the crew and their cutting-edge racing yacht to the limits.

In this gripping tale, readers witness the team's triumphs and tribulations as they navigate treacherous waters. From a mast repair in the Southern Ocean to battling the elements near Cape Horn and enduring the challenges of close-quarters living, Boris and his crew showcase resilience and teamwork, ultimately clinching victory in the longest leg in the Ocean Race history.

The book, adorned with captivating colour photographs from aboard the 

 goes beyond the maritime drama, delving into the intricacies of teamwork both on and off the water. Boris Herrmann and Andreas Wolfers craft a spellbinding narrative, capturing the essence of the Ocean Race 2023 and highlighting the extraordinary collaboration required to propel a vessel like the Malizia – Seaexplorer to new heights.

GET YOUR COPY OF THE BOOK AT YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL BOOK SHOP OR ONLINE 

, born in 1981 in Oldenburg, stands as Germany's most prominent sailor. His participation in the Vendée Globe and the subsequent bestseller "Alone Between Sky and Sea" propelled him to international acclaim. In 2023, Herrmann, alongside his wife Birte Lorenzen-Herrmann and Team Malizia, embarked on the Ocean Race and initiated the My Ocean Challenge, an international educational project for schools.

 born in 1958, a former GEO magazine reporter and STERN's Text Chief, brings his journalistic prowess and sailing expertise to co-author this thrilling account of The Ocean Race. Travelling with Team Malizia to each pit stop, Wolfers, much like the authors' previous collaboration, stayed connected with Herrmann and his crew through regular sea-bound voice messages, adding an intimate touch to the narrative.

"Ocean Race Adventure" promises readers an adrenaline-fueled odyssey, blending the challenges of high-stakes sailing with the triumphs of teamwork, all against the backdrop of the world's most gruelling team competition. Prepare to be swept away by the wind-filled pages of this maritime masterpiece.

For press inquiries and review copies, please contact:

Renowned German sailor Boris Herrmann, in collaboration with author Andreas Wolfers, unveiled their latest literary triumph, "Ocean Race Adventure" which is set to launch on November 15th, 2023, published by C.Bertelsmann. Following the success of their bestseller "Alone Between Sky and Sea," recounting Boris’ adventures of the Vendée Globe 2020-2021, this dynamic duo now takes readers on an exhilarating six-month journey around the world with a five-member crew in The Ocean Race.

Boris Herrmann and Andreas Wolfers Set Sail on a New Literary Journey with "Abenteuer Ocean Race"

Boris Herrmann and Will Harris Deploy Scientific Instrument off Portuguese Coast (ENG FRA GER)

- On day four of the Transat Jacques Vabre race on board Malizia - Seaexplorer, Boris Herrmann and Will Harris deployed a scientific instrument called a drifter buoy off the coast of Portugal at 37 degrees North. The device will live for around 700 days and autonomously sends data on atmospheric pressure, sea temperature and ocean currents to scientists on land. This data is crucial for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and for climate scientists to better understand the future of the weather and the role the Ocean plays in climate change. 

This is the second time the duo have deployed a drifter float during a Transat Jacques Vabre race, the first time being in 2019. This year alone the pair deployed two drifters in The Ocean Race taking their total to three deployed devices in 2023. These devices weigh around 25 kg and are 40 cm in diameter the reason they are so important is that they are one of the only options available to get permanent and consistent in situ atmospheric pressure measurements. 

At 17:49 UTC today on 10 November 2023 at 36 degrees N and 13 degrees W Boris Herrmann and Will Harris deployed the drifter buoy into the Ocean, to watch this moment see the 

The drifter floats are key for gathering weather forecast predictions which are also what we use to navigate during our races. They also further our climate change mission by adding to the pool of scientific data our scientists use to monitor the role the Ocean plays in mitigating climate change. Although they don’t measure the C02 content in the Ocean, like our onboard Ocean Pack, the data they gather still allows scientists to draw conclusions on the state of the Ocean’s health. To understand more about the drifter buoy you can watch

created by the Bureau of Meteorology which also clearly shows you the 15 meter long floating anchor that steadies the position within the Ocean. 

During the Transat Jacques Vabre race, six drifters will be deployed from six different IMOCA race yachts. The aim is to deploy them in six different locations along the race route where there are currently no instruments and so are scarce in data. The race deployment project is coordinated through the IMOCA class which plays a key role in coordinating the racing yachts with Meteo France, IOC-UNESCO and OceanOPS. 

There are already around 1300 drifter buoys in the Ocean worldwide and several hundred need to be deployed each year to keep up with the data requirements of the WMO. The data is transmitted from Iridium every hour enabling the ability to track its last 15 day path. Interestingly, almost all of these drifters end up on shore and can be collected, although a very small number do become lost in the Ocean. 

Boris Herrmann et Will Harris Déploient un Instrument Scientifique au Large de la Côte Portugaise

 Au quatrième jour de la Transat Jacques Vabre à bord de Malizia - Seaexplorer, Boris Herrmann et Will Harris ont déployé un instrument scientifique appelé bouée dérivante au large de la côte du Portugal à 37 degrés de latitude nord. L'appareil restera en service pendant environ 700 jours et enverra de manière autonome des données sur la pression atmosphérique, la température de la mer et les courants océaniques aux scientifiques sur terre. Ces données sont cruciales pour l'Organisation Météorologique Mondiale (OMM) et pour les scientifiques du climat afin de mieux comprendre la météo et le rôle de l'océan dans le changement climatique.

C'est la deuxième fois que le duo déploie une bouée dérivante lors d'une Transat Jacques Vabre, la première fois étant en 2019. Rien que cette année, le duo a déployé deux autres bouées dérivantes lors de la Ocean Race, portant leur total pour 2023 à trois appareils déployés. Ces appareils pèsent environ 25 kg pour un diamètre de 40 cm. La raison pour laquelle ils sont si importants est qu'ils sont l'une des seules options disponibles pour obtenir des mesures permanentes et cohérentes de la pression atmosphérique in situ.

À 17:49 UTC aujourd’hui, 10 novembre 2023, à 36 degrés Nord and 13 degrés Ouest, Boris Herrmann et Will Harris ont déployé la bouée dérivante dans l'océan. Pour voir ce moment, consultez

Les bouées dérivantes sont essentielles pour recueillir des prévisions météorologiques, que nous utilisons également pour naviguer pendant nos courses. Ils contribuent également à notre “A Race We Must Win” en ajoutant des données scientifiques que nos chercheurs utilisent pour surveiller le rôle de l'océan dans l'atténuation du changement climatique. Bien qu'ils ne mesurent pas la teneur en CO2 dans l'océan, comme notre Ocean Pack à bord, les données qu'ils recueillent permettent néanmoins aux scientifiques de tirer des conclusions sur l'état de santé de l'océan. Pour en savoir plus sur 

, vous pouvez regarder cette vidéo créée par le Bureau de la météorologie, qui montre également clairement l'ancre flottante de 15 mètres de long qui stabilise la position dans l'océan.

Pendant la course Transat Jacques Vabre, six bouées dérivantes seront déployées à partir de six différents IMOCA. L'objectif est de les déployer à six endroits différents le long du parcours de la course où il n'y a actuellement aucun instrument et donc peu de données. Le projet de déploiement de la course est coordonné par la classe IMOCA, qui joue un rôle clé dans la coordination des équipages avec Météo France, l'IOC-UNESCO et OceanOPS.

Il y a déjà environ 1300 bouées dérivantes dans l'océan dans le monde entier, et plusieurs centaines doivent être déployées chaque année pour répondre aux besoins en données de l'OMM. Les données sont transmises par Iridium toutes les heures, et leur trajectoire des 15 derniers jours peut être suivie. De manière intéressante, presque toutes ces bouées dérivantes finissent par échouer sur la côte et peuvent être récupérées, bien qu'un très petit nombre se perde dans l'océan.

Boris Herrmann und Will Harris setzen wissenschaftliches Instrument vor der portugiesischen Küste aus

 Am vierten Tagedes Transat Jacques Vabre-Rennens an Bord der Malizia - Seaexplorer setzten Boris Herrmann und Will Harris ein wissenschaftliches Instrument, eine Drifter-Boje, vor der Küste Portugals bei 37 Grad nördlicher Breite aus. Das Gerät wird etwa 700 Tage lang aktiv sein und autonom Daten zu atmosphärischem Druck, Wassertemperatur und Meeresströmungen an Wissenschaftler an Land senden. Diese Daten sind von wichtiger Bedeutung für die Weltorganisation für Meteorologie (WMO) und für Klimaforscher, um die Zukunft des Wetters und die Rolle des Ozeans im Zusammenhang mit dem Klimawandel besser zu verstehen.

Dies ist das zweite Mal, dass das Duo während eines Transat Jacques Vabre-Rennens eine Drifter-Boje einsetzt, das erste Mal war 2019. Allein in diesem Jahr setzten die beiden schon zwei  Drifter im Rahmen des Ocean Race ein, was die Gesamtzahl der von ihnen ausgesetzten Bojen für 2023 auf drei Geräte bringt. Diese Geräte wiegen etwa 25 kg und haben einen Durchmesser von 40 cm. Der Grund, warum sie so wichtig sind, besteht darin, dass sie eine der wenigen Möglichkeiten darstellen, permanente und konsistente atmosphärische Druckmessungen von vor Ort zu erhalten.

Um 17:49 UTC heute am 10. November 2023 bei 36 Grad N und 13 Grad W setzten Boris Herrmann und Will Harris die Drifter-Boje in den Ozean aus. Um diesen Moment mitzuerleben, schaue das 

Die Drifter-Bojen sind entscheidend für die Erstellung von Wettervorhersagen, die unter anderem auch wir während unserer Rennen verwenden. Sie unterstützen zudem unsere Klimaschutzmission, indem sie zum Pool wissenschaftlicher Daten beitragen, die Wissenschaftler verwenden, um die Rolle des Ozeans in Bezug zur Minderung des Klimawandels zu verstehen. Obwohl sie den CO2-Gehalt im Ozean nicht messen wie unser Ocean Pack an Board, ermöglichen die von den Driftern gesammelten Daten dennoch Schlussfolgerungen über den Zustand der Ozeangesundheit. Um mehr über die Drifter-Boje zu erfahren, schaue 

 des meteorologischen Büros an, in dem man auch deutlich den 15 Meter langen schwimmenden Anker sieht, der die Position im Ozean stabilisiert.

Während des Transat Jacques Vabre-Rennens werden insgesamt sechs Drifter von sechs verschiedenen IMOCA-Rennjachten aus eingesetzt. Das Ziel ist es, sie an sechs verschiedenen Orten entlang der Rennstrecke zu platzieren, an denen derzeit keine Instrumente vorhanden sind und daher eine Datenknappheit vorliegt. Das Renn-Deploymentsprojekt wird durch die IMOCA-Klasse koordiniert, die eine Schlüsselrolle bei der Koordinierung der Rennjachten mit Meteo France, der IOC-UNESCO und OceanOPS spielt.

Es gibt bereits weltweit etwa 1300 Drifter-Bojen im Ozean, und mehrere hundert müssen jedes Jahr neu eingesetzt werden, um den Datenerfordernissen der WMO gerecht zu werden. Die Daten werden stündlich über Iridium übertragen, und ihre letzten 15-tägigen Pfade können verfolgt werden. Interessanterweise landen fast alle Drifter am Ende ihres Einsatzes an den Küsten und können eingesammelt werden und nur eine sehr geringe Anzahl gehen im Ozean verloren.

 to access our imagebank. Password 'Maliziapress'

 with both crew members, hardcut with content shot from the 

 to access the Dropbox where we upload German audio files

10 November 2023 - On day four of the Transat Jacques Vabre race on board Malizia - Seaexplorer, Boris Herrmann and Will Harris deployed a scientific instrument called a drifter buoy off the coast of Portugal at 37 degrees North. The device will live for around 700 days and autonomously sends data on atmospheric pressure, sea temperature and ocean currents to scientists on land. This data is crucial for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and for climate scientists to better understand the future of the weather and the role the Ocean plays in climate change. 

The First 24 hours of the race saw many IMOCA casualties very early on with top wind speeds of 45 knots and with six boats having to retire or stop for repairs. Our own boat Malizia - Seaexplorer also encountered some technical issues although issues of the electronics kind and not a structural issue with the boat. The boat itself is performing well and weathered the strong winds that saw three competitor boats with boom or mainsail damage through the course of the day. The electronics issue we are experiencing has caused the autopilot to not receive all the necessary data to function. That has made it very challenging to continue sailing as these boats are not designed to be hand steered for long periods of time. 

Through the night the pair were in fifth place and into the morning they managed to hold on to sixth place in the rankings. At around 07:43 UTC Boris reported to the shore team that they were encountering issues with the data feeding the autopilot. The autopilot itself is fine and working well but the data input feeding it was not all present due to the technical problems. 

The autopilot is a key piece of technology which drives the boat without the need for the sailors to steer. This is crucial when solo or short-handed sailing such as in the Transat Jacques Vabre or the Vendee Globe. The data around this is incredibly complicated taking into account many variables to steer a perfect course for the boat, having to react to wind, waves and the aggressive motions of a foiling IMOCA. With the advancement in technology many now believe that the autopilot is more efficient than any human steering the boat. 

On land the shore team worked on different solutions and in the meantime Boris and Will connected the secondary pilot to see if this would work. This was also not working and so the pair were forced to stop the boat in the Ocean to see if they could reconfigure the data sources and get the pilots working again. This first attempt was unsuccessful but the pair were able to get the second pilot up and running and so have been able to continue the race albeit in 12th place now at 15:00 UTC.

Whilst the duo continue to work on a solution with the electronics experts back in France, the damaged boats in the fleet can be seen on the tracker to be sailing to safe harbors along the French coast. The front running three boats as expected are Charal, For People and Paprec Arkea. The team’s aim is to get further south over the coming hours as more strong wind is forecast over the next 12 hours. 

A Tough First 24 Hours for Many in the IMOCA Fleet including Malizia - Seaexplorer

Skipper Boris Herrmann and co-skipper Will Harris eagerly start the Transat Jacques Vabre race after a 9 day delay due to huge storms rolling across the Atlantic. With 40 IMOCA yachts on the start line the race is guaranteed to be exciting. Malizia - Seaexplorer is facing off against some of her newly built competitors for the first time! The race is expected to take between 12 to 14 days.  The start saw the duo set off in 20 to 25 knots of wind with a complicated sea state, the first hours will be relatively upwind which means uncomfortable conditions and not as fast. Boris Herrmann will compete in the solo return race starting on 30th November 2023, which is just over a week after the arrival in Martinique. 

Skipper Boris Herrmann and co-skipper Will Harris eagerly start the Transat Jacques Vabre race after a 9 day delay due to huge storms rolling across the Atlantic. With 40 IMOCA yachts on the start line the race is guaranteed to be exciting. Malizia - Seaexplorer is facing off against some of her newly built competitors for the first time! The race is expected to take between 12 to 14 days.  The start saw the duo set off in 20 to 25 knots of wind with a complicated sea state, the first hours will be relatively upwind which means uncomfortable conditions and not as fast. Boris Herrmann will compete in the solo return race starting on 30th November 2023, which is just over a week after the arrival in Martinique. 