There are several premieres in quick succession, which the new Ocean Race Atlantic A treat for sailors and fans alike: the race from New York to Lorient, covering some 3,200 nautical miles, is taking place for the very first time. What’s more, with the IMOCA crossing of the Atlantic, two boats – Boris Herrmann’s “Malizia 4” and Kojiro Shiraishi’s “DMG Mori Global One” – both virtually brand-new, are competing in their first regatta. Skipper Boris Herrmann is approaching this test with great anticipation and the utmost confidence in his crew.
Boris Herrmann is taking part in the Ocean Race Atlantic alongside Brauer, Mettraux and Villion
Alongside the six-time circumnavigator, Cole Brauer (USA), Justine Mettraux (Switzerland) and Julien Villion (France) will be competing in the Ocean Race Atlantic. Frenchman Gauthier Lebec will be reporting on the race from on board, capturing the action in pictures and words. Boris Herrmann said: “I’m really looking forward to putting the new ‘Malizia 4’ through its first major test in a race.”
"I have great confidence in this crew. They are among the best sailors in the world. And I am proud and honoured to be sailing alongside them." Boris Herrmann
Since her launch on 6 July, “Malizia 4” has already clocked up around 6,500 test and training miles. “We’ve sailed together a lot during the testing phase and know each other well from the sailing world,” said Boris Herrmann of the sailors at his side. His tribute ahead of the start of the Ocean Race Atlantic on 1 September: “They are all superstars and among the most sought-after sailors in the sport. I think we’ll make a strong team together.”
From Team Malizia’s point of view, the fleet comprises “an interesting mix of boats, designs and experience”. Click here to go to the YACHT Favourites Check. In the Battle of the new IMOCs "Boris Herrmann’s ‘Malizia 4’ (designed by Antoine Koch) will go head-to-head with Kojiro Shiraishi’s ‘DMG Mori Global One’ (designed by Guillaume Verdier)."
Ocean Race Atlantic: Downwind speed versus upwind power in the battle for the lead?
Commenting on the top-of-the-table clash between the two joint favourites, Boris Herrmann said: “From what we’ve seen so far, there are rumours doing the rounds at the dock that the ‘DMG Mori Global One’ is particularly fast downwind. For our part, we’ve found that our boat performs very well upwind. That could lead to a really interesting comparison between the two boats.”
Furthermore, according to Boris Herrmann, the Ocean Race Atlantic will also “pit the two new boats against those of previous generations, which have already been thoroughly tested and developed”. In the process, Boris Herrmann will also face an IMOCA with which he is very familiar: his former ‘Malizia 3’ (‘Malizia – Seaexplorer’), which is now being skippered by Francesca Clapcich as ‘11th Hour Racing’ in the Transat from New York to Lorient.
In addition, Boris Herrmann’s long-standing co-skipper, Will Harris, is switching to “11th Hour Racing” for this race. According to Team Malizia, the boat is “a tried-and-tested, reliable platform”. The British sailor knows it “inside out” and has spent thousands of miles on board with Team Malizia. It will be the first time that Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia have competed against his former boat and his long-standing crew member Will Harris.
A Herrmann joke with a grain of truth
Smiling, Boris Herrmann said: “If they beat me, that’ll obviously be a disaster for me.” But the 45-year-old from Hamburg also added: “Joking aside, I’m really looking forward to seeing how we’ll fare, especially against the ‘DMG Mori Global One’ and against our old boat. It’s precisely this rivalry that makes racing so interesting.”
Added to this is a special duel between two female sailors, according to Boris Herrmann. The ‘Malizia 4’ skipper said: “What’s more, two sisters are competing against each other: Justine on our boat and Elodie-Jane on the other. So there’s definitely a friendly, internal rivalry too. But this will be short-lived. Both Francesca and Will will be competing again in The Ocean Race round the world in 2027, flying the Team Malizia colours aboard ‘Malizia 4’.”
Boris Herrmann also explained the reasons for fielding his trusted co-skipper on “11th Hour Racing” in the Ocean Race Atlantic, saying: “Will’s participation in the regatta alongside Francesca allows him to pass on his experience and strengthens the collaboration between our teams. It creates further opportunities for our entire Malizia squad to sail together in race mode in the run-up to next year’s round-the-world race.”
A home game for Cole Brauer in his home port of New York
Beyond the sailing challenge, Boris Herrmann also highlighted the special significance of the start and finish ports in the Ocean Race Atlantic for his team. Team Malizia commented: “New York has become a familiar stopover for Boris Herrmann and his team – and a very special starting point for Cole Brauer, who was born and raised in New York State – whilst Lorient is home to the technical headquarters in one of the world’s most important IMOCA sailing centres.”
Cole Brauer said: “I’m really looking forward to competing in this new event, especially with this team and on board our new ‘Malizia 4’. It’s something very special to set sail from New York, surrounded by friends, and then sail back to Lorient, where the boat was launched and where I’ve really found my place with Team Malizia.”
"It feels like a very fitting way to bring all my experiences together with the team." Cole Brauer
Commenting on the upcoming sporting challenge in the Ocean Race Atlantic, Boris Herrmann’s co-skipper and navigator Julien Villion said: “It’s still too early for a detailed forecast, but we have a good idea of what to expect. When we leave the US east coast in late summer, we could encounter unstable, possibly stormy weather fronts and rapidly forming transitional zones.”
Ocean Race Atlantic: plenty of challenges for the navigators
And the list of challenges facing the sailors is even longer, as Julien Villion explained: “The Gulf Stream and the restricted zones shortly after the start will also have a significant impact on route choice and limit tactical options. Weather models can differ considerably in this part of the Atlantic, as we have already seen during our crossing to the USA. Once we’re out on the open sea, it will become a more typical ocean crossing. We’ll have to wait for a clearer picture to see which weather fronts offer the best route to Europe.”
“As the fleet approaches the Bay of Biscay and Lorient, a high-pressure system could once again throw the race into disarray.” Julien Villion
During this transatlantic race, Team Malizia will, as always, be carrying its OceanPack. The automated laboratory records key data on CO₂ concentration, temperature and salinity at the ocean’s surface; the data is made freely available to scientists to improve our understanding of the ocean’s role in the climate system.
Live coverage of the New York leg of the Ocean Race Atlantic
The Ocean Race Atlantic will start on 1 September 2026 in New York City. On the day of the start, the fleet will set sail from Brooklyn Bridge Marina in New York. Before the start, the six teams will take part in a parade and the ‘Dock-Out Show’, before sailing past the Statue of Liberty. The parade of boats off Manhattan will broadcast live. The fleet then heads for the virtual starting line, which is situated around 100 nautical miles off the coast.
The start of the race will be broadcast here on NDR on 1 September from around 5.55 pm German time for about an hour and is also available via Watch The Ocean Race live on its YouTube channel here. The start line for the regatta is situated around 100 nautical miles off the coast. The actual starting signal for the Ocean Race Atlantic will not be given until the very early hours of 2 September (German time) and will not be broadcast live.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter