Ocean Race Europe: "Podium, hopefully!" - Boris Herrmann's view of the European race

103 days before the start of the Ocean Race Europe on 10 August in Kiel, the organisers and the Kiel hosts have given a first preview of this year's most famous offshore race. Six-time circumnavigator Boris Herrmann, who is leading his team Malizia into the European race, joined the press conference at the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein on Hamburg's Alster from the team headquarters in Lorient, France.

Ocean Race Europe connects Europe

"We are proud that Kiel and Schleswig-Holstein were able to land the event," commented Boris Herrmann on the upcoming race opening in midsummer in the Schleswig-Holstein state capital, where sailing will be celebrated on the Kiellinie from 6 to 10 August. The 43-year-old skipper explained: "Of course we also have competition from different sports. The SailGP goes to Sassnitz and I am delighted that we are well placed with the Ocean Race."

I believe that in sailing there is this very special collegiality between the teams, the seamanship and, of course, the discovery of the world." Boris Herrmann

When asked about the significance of a European regatta against the current geopolitical backdrop, Boris Herrmann said: "I simply believe that sport has the potential to create a good atmosphere, to bring nations and people together to enjoy each other and to realise how great it is to come together at an event and celebrate the excitement of the competition. Basically, that's a great characteristic of sport."

He is particularly looking forward to "a great race in Europe with the focus that the organisers are placing on marine conservation". With reference to past Ocean Race highlights in Kiel, such as the victory of the "illbruck" in 2002 in front of hundreds of thousands of fans or the Ocean Race Fly-By on 9 June 2923 with around 120,000 spectators, Boris Herrmann underlined the importance of the North German "Sailing City". Herrmann called Kiel "one of the great sailing spots in Germany". The Kiel hosts are expecting 250,000 visitors for the start of the Ocean Race Europe.

Team Malizia: Crew presentation in May

Commenting on the sporting prospects, Boris Herrmann said: "From a purely sailing perspective, I'm very motivated because I have great memories of the Ocean Race World, which we sailed in 2022/2023. Those were fantastic legs, an incredible spectacle in Kiel with the fly-by and lots of spectator boats coming out. In great weather with an incredible number of people. In my opinion, the Ocean Race Europe once again has the potential to generate enthusiasm and offer a great sailing regatta for us."

Commenting on his own sporting ambitions with Team Malizia for the European race from Kiel via Portsmouth (Great Britain), Matosinhos (Portugal, Fly-By), Cartagena (Spain), Nice (France) and Genoa (Italy) to the destination harbour of Boka Bay (Montenegro), Boris Herrmann said: "Podium, hopefully! We have extremely strong competition with boats that are a little newer than ours, some of which were built a year later. Of course everyone wants to win. In the end, it's down to who sails best."

The five legs of the Ocean Race Europe are contested by crews of four plus onboard reporters. At least two nations must be represented in each team on each leg and at least one female sailor must be in action. Team Malizia's complete crew will be presented in May. Boris Herrmann as skipper, Will Harris and Cole Brauer as co-skippers have been announced so far. Boris Herrmann has announced that he will not be taking part in the second leg of the European race.

Powerful Malizia competition in the Ocean Race Europe

Team Malizia's opponents include top-ranked teams such as the Swiss team Holcim-PRB, which will be skippered by Herrmann's former co-skipper Rosalin Kuiper (Netherlands) in the second edition of the Ocean Race Europe. Rosalin Kuiper reported on her preparations at YACHT online here. The co-favourites in the Ocean Race Europe also include Team Paprec Arkéa with Vendée Globe runner-up Yoann Richomme (France) and Ambrogio Beccaria's Italian team Allagrande Mapei Racing, in which Thomas Ruyant will be an ace up his sleeve.

Six or more sailing racing teams want to take part in the challenge under the motto "Connecting Europe". For Boris Herrmann, it will also be a farewell tour with the racing yacht "Malizia - Seaexplorer", which he co-developed and has already sold, before his team starts a new cycle with the aim of participating in the Vendée Globe in 2028.

In Kiel, the organisers are gearing up for the summer sailing festival of superlatives on the Kiellinie. From 6 to 10 August 2025, the Ocean Race Europe in Kiel can be experienced up close in the Ocean Live Park. Visitors can expect a water and land programme with sporting, cultural and environmental protection activities to take part in and experience - free of charge and mostly in the open air.

Ocean Race Europe: get in, join in, experience

The attractions on the water include, for example, the speed runs of the participating boats on the fjord. On land, a cockpit developed in collaboration with the Ocean Race organisers and Team Paprec Arkéa invites visitors to climb aboard as a display and experience object. The Ocean Dome, developed with a Kiel-based company, can be experienced for the first time in the north of Germany, showing films with 360-degree ceiling projection.

"The programme will be very fan-oriented and very interactive," said German Ocean Race Marketing Director Mirko Gröschner in Hamburg. Team Malizia will also contribute to this and, in addition to the sporting activities, will demonstrate and promote its commitment to protecting the world's oceans. At the press conference in Hamburg, Birte Lorenzen-Herrmann reported on the "My Ocean Challenge" educational programme for children aged eight to twelve, which she initiated and runs.

We take the children on board as little Malizians." Birte Lorenzen-Herrmann

According to the team, the programme has reached around 80,000 young people in twelve languages around the world since its launch in 2017. "In the Ocean Race Europe, we want to seize the moment again to inspire and motivate children to engage with climate change and sustainability beyond sport. The ocean plays a major role in this. We take the children on board as little Malizians and show them how research works on board, how we measure data. And why this is so important for understanding the climate of the future."

Eye to eye with the Ocean Race fans

The Ocean Race Europe organisers' fan offensive also includes setting up Formula 1-style pitlanes, special fan days, a team parade, the dock-out show and many more activities. "Our aim is to bring the fans very close to the Ocean Race Europe and the boats and teams," announced Mirko Gröschner. Once the starting signal has been given, after the hustle and bustle in Kiel, the crews will face a series of sprints around Europe in the little European sister of the Ocean Race. The final sporting result will be at the end of September in the finish harbour of Boka Bay.

The trailer for the start of the Ocean Race Europe on 10 August in Kiel:

A look back! The highlights of the Ocean Race Fly-By in Kiel 2023: