Transat Jacques Vabre: Seventh after Caribbean thriller - Team Malizia crosses the finish line

Boris Herrmann and Will Harris finished seventh in the 16th Transat Jacques Vabre. Despite an impressive race to catch up on the last night at sea, Team Malizia was caught by the Swiss skipper Justine Mettraux and Julien Villion on "Teamwork.net" in the last two hours of Sunday's final off Martinique's famous Diamond Rock.

It was a great race. And an epic finale!" (Boris Herrmann)

In the second half of the race, the mixed team had opted for a tough storm race in the north, while the majority of the fleet and also Boris Herrmann and Will Harris headed for the Caribbean on a more southerly Atlantic course in more pleasant trade winds. The extreme decision by "La Mettraux", which Boris Herrmann described as "impressive and courageous", paid off for Mettraux/Villion in the final sprint, even if the course could hardly have been longer. This was because "Malizia - Seaexplorer" quickly closed the gap on her rival over the last few nautical miles with better speed.

Boris Herrmann nevertheless drew a positive TJV balance: "It was a great race. And an epic final! We fought neck and neck with three other boats right to the end." After twelfth place at his Transat premiere in 2019, Boris Herrmann and Will Harris finished in the top ten this time. "We are very happy. This is good motivation for the next races," said Team Malizia's founder. The German-British duo crossed the finish line on Sunday evening German time around eleven and a half hours after the victorious French "For People" with the successful defending champions Thomas Ruyant and Morgan Lagravière.

Best Transat Mixed Team: Samantha Davies and Jack Bouttell

The "Malizia - Seaexplorer" mastered the 5,319 nautical miles from Le Havre across the Atlantic to Martinique in 12 days, 9 hours, 1 minute and 3 seconds. Herrmann and Harris crossed the finish line at 18.31 German time, just 1 minute and 5 seconds after "Teamwork.net". Shortly before, "Charal" with Jérémie Beyou and Franck Cammas and "Initiatives - Cœur" with Sam Davies and Jack Bouttell had crossed the line in fourth and fifth place.

The latter can claim the title of "Best Mixed Team" - albeit only just ahead of Justine Mettraux and Julien Villion. As the third mixed team, Clarisse Crémer and Alan Roberts, who are in ninth place with "L'Occitane en Provence", could also sail into the top ten. This has never happened before in the 30-year history of the Transat.

Together on the podium: one racing team, two crews

In the Caribbean harbour of Fort-de-France, the chasing podium crews were celebrated enthusiastically. The party for the winners had already taken place here on Sunday morning German time. Thomas Ruyant won his second Transat Jacques Vabre in a row and his third overall with Morgan Lagravière on "For People". The Koch-Conq design from this year proved its worth right from the start in its set along the coffee route.

The joy in Thomas Ruyant's racing stable knew no bounds on Sunday, as his racing stable mates Sam Goodchild and Antoine Koch came third on "For the Planet". And this is the former "Linked Out", with which Ruyant won the 2021 Transat Jacques Vabre. The already strong Guillaume Verdier design from 2019 has obviously received a good refit and should provide Sam Goodchild with a strong platform for his Vendée Globe premiere next year. At the same time, Sam Goodchild celebrated his 34th birthday on this exciting Sunday.

Boris Herrmann prepares for the Retour à la Base solo race

In the sandwich of team-mates "For People" and "For the Planet", Yoann Richomme and ex-Malician Yann Eliès secured Transat silver in the Imocas on their equally young Koch-Conq design "Paprec Arkéa". The hard-fighting duo finished 9 minutes and 16 seconds ahead of Goodchild/Koch. The next team expected to cross the finish line on the night of 19 November was "V and B - Monbana - Mayenne" with Maxime Sorel and Christopher Pratt.

42-year-old Boris Herrmann has one and a half weeks in the Caribbean to prepare for the solo return race Retour à la Base from 30 November. Unlike many of his competitors, who still urgently need this return race as a mile qualification for the Vendée Globe 2024/2025, the five-time circumnavigator is already qualified for his second non-stop round-the-world race. However, the Hamburg native wants to use the solo race to Lorient in France for intensive preparation. He said: "I want to see where I stand and how I can get back into single-handed sailing."

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