Team Malizia's Boris Herrmann off to a great start in the Vendée Globe 2024-2025
by Team Malizia 10 Nov 2024 08:29 PST
10 November 2024
The start of the Vendée Globe 2024-2025 © Jean-Marie Liot / Vendée Globe
Team Malizia's skipper Boris Herrmann has started his second Vendée Globe this Sunday at 13:02 in Les Sables d'Olonne. After sailing up the famous channel to the cheers of an enthusiastic crowd, the fleet of 40 IMOCA boats set sail in very light winds and in a race that will take them around the world and through the challenging conditions of the Southern Ocean.
What a cracking start - Team Malizia's skipper Boris Herrmann took an excellent start today in Les Sables d'Olonne as he set sail onboard Malizia -Seaexplorer in his second Vendée Globe. The German solo sailor kicked-off the round-the-world race at the pin end of the line, with a little more air, and impeccably controlled timing this Sunday 10 November 2024 at 13:02 (local time, 12:02 pm UTC). Going quicker than his other 39 competitors, he rapidly gained more than 200 metres over them and led the fleet for the first twenty minutes of the race.
Also known as the "Everest of the Seas", the Vendée Globe is considered the greatest challenge in sport. The legendary solo, non-stop, unassisted, round-the-world race is celebrating its 10th edition with a record-number of 40 IMOCA boats on the start line. Only 114 sailors have ever completed the race out of 200 who started, and Boris Herrmann made history in 2021, when he became the first German to compete in the race.
"I feel great and I'm very keen to go", said Boris Herrmann as he arrived in the mixed zone this morning. "I slept well, though I woke up an hour too early from my alarm. Then I cuddled with my dog Lilli for a bit, and I'm glad she can still accompany me on the dock as I walk to the boat in a few minutes. I'm looking forward to seeing the team before I dock off and to being on board. We were just waiting in the crew area with a few other skippers and I enjoyed being around them in these last moments before we race around the world."
The course covers 45,000 kilometres (24,300 nautical miles), starting and finishing in Les Sables d'Olonne, France. The fleet will head down the Atlantic, around Antarctica, passing the three iconic Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape Horn, before returning north through the Atlantic, aiming to finish between mid and end of January.
With a blend of experience, nautical miles sailed, and an IMOCA boat designed specifically for the Vendée Globe 2024-2025, the German is regarded by press and competitors as one of the favourites in this year's race. Since his remarkable fifth-place finish in the last edition, his win of the Southern Ocean Leg in The Ocean Race last year, and his back-to-back second-place finishes in the two transats this spring, his potential to secure a podium spot or even win the race has been widely highlighted. However, Boris remains humble and doesn't let the pressure get to him, as he repeatedly emphasises the incredible level in the fleet, where, in his opinion 6 to 10 skippers are capable of winning or placing on the podium. "A success would be to do a good race for myself, in terms of taking the potential of the boat as well as my own, and have a good time as well. And then we will see the result."
Pierre Casiraghi, vice-president of the Yacht Club de Monaco and Team Malizia co-founder, accompanied his friend Boris Herrmann in the last days and onboard the IMOCA along the entire channel. He commented: "It's fantastic. This is the culmination of years of work. Taking the start of a second Vendée Globe means we've succeeded in making the project reliable. Everything is ready. We are pleased with Boris' preparation and the boat. For us, Boris is one of the contenders for the podium, but the Vendée Globe is such a long race with so many variables that, above all, it's crucial to finish it. I will continue to communicate regularly to support him throughout the race."
Besides performing at his best on the water, raising awareness for Ocean and climate protection through the adventure of sailing is equally important to Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia, as well as their seven main partners which support the team's A Race We Must Win - Climate Action Now! mission. "Like in every race, delivery or training we do, I have the OceanPack onboard. This automated laboratory very precisely measures Ocean CO2 concentrations, temperature and salinity data. By now, we've gathered one of the largest accessible datasets, which is freely available for scientists to use to better understand the role of the Ocean in the climate system." This data is very important, especially in the Southern Ocean, as offshore races sail in the most remote areas of the world, where almost no other boats, including research vessels go.
After a last embrace with his wife Birte and goodbyes with his team, friends, and partners, Boris Herrmann had a final chat with HSH Prince Albert II. The Monegasque Sovereign had come to the dock to wish the Malizia - Seaexplorer skipper fair winds and watch him dock-off. "This scientific and environmental aspect is important to protect the oceans. Boris and the other sailors involved are ambassadors and players in this formidable effort," enthused HSH Prince Albert II, who came to Les Sables-d'Olonne on Friday to sign a partnership agreement with the Vendée Globe Foundation of which he is Honorary President. Boris Herrmann will also deploy a drifter buoy, as he has done multiple times over the past years, in order to help improve weather forecasting and climate change monitoring.
As Malizia - Seaexplorer passed through the channel of Les Sables d'Olonne, an iconic moment of the Vendée Globe race, the Team Malizia crew was amazed by the hundreds of thousands of fans lined up along the famous harbour exit. "This is incredible, last time was during the pandemic, this time is so different and the support from the cheering crowds is unbelievable", said Boris Herrmann.
He reflected: "As a team, we want to consistently continue the work we started. Sport has a wonderful power, it keeps evoking and reminding us of positive emotions. It brings people together across nations, borders, and different views. Seeing such a large crowd here and so many international followers tracking this grand adventure online — I really appreciate the value of the race. So, let's see if we can get off to a good start here and keep up with the fleet."
"However, it looks like we will take longer than the usual seven days to reach the Equator", said the German sailor. "So I think the chances of beating the 74-day record set by Armel Le Cléac'h are reduced even if the race speeds up quickly with the front forecast at Cape Finistere with a three-to four metre swell." The decision for tomorrow might be whether to sail inside or outside the traffic separation zone (TTS) at Cape Finistere. "There, the big challenge will be timing the sail changes correctly and navigating the traffic separation zone, which will be physically demanding. We'll need to hit the waypoints, and it might even mean going a bit faster. This could lead to a particularly strenuous period in a couple of days."
The real challenge of the Vendée Globe lies in the mental endurance required to complete this race. "Eighty days to sail around the world is a lot", said Boris Herrmann. "I'll need to break it down into small stages to avoid feeling overwhelmed. I've prepared well for this. I feel in harmony with the boat, mentally and technically ready."
Team Malizia's A Race We Must Win - Climate Action Now! 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 campaign, each of them working towards projects in their own field to innovate around climate solutions.