The video of the Ocean Race Atlantic captures what results tables cannot convey: the moment when a lead melts away. The frantic activity below deck as water pours into the boat. The anxious minutes following the crash in the night. And the images of a boat that, despite a damaged port foil, regains speed and almost makes it to the front of the pack.
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Straight to the top from the New York opener
Right from the very first few minutes, it becomes clear just how daunting the task is. Six IMOCA teams set off on the Atlantic crossing to Lorient. At this stage, the ‘Malizia 4’ has been in the water for just two months and must immediately hold its own against well-established rivals. Justine Mettraux, Cole Brauer and navigator Julien Villion are sailing alongside Boris Herrmann. The crew is not only made up of high-profile sailors, but also combines solo sailing experience, offshore expertise and routing skills.
The images of the boat setting sail from New York and the journey to the start line far out at sea provide a tranquil contrast to what follows. The race does not begin with the usual commotion at the start line, but with a cautious approach through an area teeming with marine mammals. Only then does the race really get underway.
And here’s how it all begins: the ‘Malizia 4’ wins the first The race’s Super Sprint and takes the lead after the first day. The video captures these early, fast-paced scenes in which Boris Herrmann is at the helm and the new vessel flies across the water. These sequences are what make the retrospective so compelling.
First water in the boat, then a bang from the foil
The film’s most powerful scenes occur when things no longer go to plan. Whilst sailing close-hauled, an inspection hatch on the forward ballast tank comes loose. Water floods into the bow. The crew quickly replaces the lost hatch with one from the aft tank, pumps out the water and restores the forward ballast tank to working order.
The pictures do not show a heroic staged repair, but a rare, genuine moment on board. It illustrates just how much improvisation is still required, even on a new, high-tech IMOCA. The Early lead for the ‘Malizia 4’ This puts things into perspective; the simple repair shows that anything can happen at sea at any time.
The real turning point comes on the fourth night. According to the team, the port foil collides with a marine mammal or a large fish. The crew have to turn the boat round, assess the damage and secure the hydraulic cylinder. It is still possible to continue sailing, but the foil is no longer fully operational.
The consequences were severe: what had been a lead turned into a deficit of up to 110 nautical miles. The The collision and the damage to the foil have long been documented. The film, however, brings the events to life: the uncertainty immediately following the crash and the focus of a crew that has to find a makeshift solution under time pressure.
Why you should watch this video for more than just the result
The regatta was a close-fought, tactical and technically complex affair. The video features plenty of footage shot directly from on board: wet crew changes, crew members working in protective clothing, sailors wearing helmets in the rough North Atlantic, and brief moments when even personal hygiene becomes a brief respite in the midst of extreme conditions.
In between are long, almost elegiac shots of the ocean. The swell, the spray and the shifting light lend the film the necessary sense of vastness. They make it clear that an IMOCA is not just a 60-foot foiling machine, but also remains a workplace, a place to sleep and a refuge for its crew day after day. It is precisely the alternation between speed and stillness, between technical breakdowns and sunsets, that underpins this retrospective.
If you just want to know who won, you’ll find the result in a single line. If you want to understand why a fourth-place finish still feels like a successful first test of their mettle for this team, the video provides a better answer. The new ‘Malizia 4’ was fast, it was in the lead and remained in the race after the collision. The Tracker analysis for the Ocean Race Atlantic Confirmed: In many comparable light- and moderate-wind conditions, the boat demonstrated the strongest speed profile amongst the leading group.
The comeback run right up to Lorient
Despite the damage, the race was by no means over for Malizia. The crew halved their deficit and, despite the handicap, went on to win another sprint. When a high-pressure system later brought the field back together, the top four boats were once again less than 50 nautical miles apart. The A race to catch up after the collision It’s one of the most gripping parts of the film, because hope begins to return here, even though the constraints on the boat remain.
In the final sprint to Lorient, the IMOCAs reach speeds of up to 30 knots. ‘United by the Ocean’ wins ahead of ‘11th Hour Racing’. The new ‘DMG Mori Global One’ holds on to third place, but ‘Malizia 4’ is just 300 seconds behind.
Book recommendations
Boris Herrmann and the race around the world follows Team Malizia in the Ocean Race and offers a glimpse behind the scenes that a race tracker cannot show. This illustrated book covers the preparations, the development of the boat, the crew’s teamwork, and the highs and lows at sea.
Boris Herrmann, seaexplorer focuses on Boris Herrmann’s experiences in the Vendée Globe. Personal accounts and extensive photographic material recount the loneliness, the strain and the encounters with nature experienced in offshore racing. For readers who, having watched the video, wish to immerse themselves even more deeply in the atmosphere of long days at sea, this book offers a different, more personal perspective.
Which scene from the video do you think best illustrates what modern offshore racing is all about: the damage to the foils, the repair work, or the comeback in the final sprint?
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital