Circumnavigator: Boris Herrmann honoured with the Federal Cross of Merit
Tatjana Pokorny
· 14.03.2024
A great honour for Boris Herrmann: the five-time circumnavigator was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in Hamburg City Hall in the late afternoon of 14 March. Boris Herrmann received the Cross of the Order of Merit on Ribbon, which is awarded by the Federal President, from the hands of State Councillor Christoph Holstein during a festive ceremony in the Tower Hall. "I am touched and impressed by this medal. Half of sailing races are won on land, so this medal is an honour for Team Malizia as a whole," said the 42-year-old in his first reaction.
The reasons for the Order of Merit
Hamburg's First Mayor Peter Tschentscher had previously proposed the professional sailor to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for the award. The Order of Merit honours Boris Herrmann's achievements in sailing and in climate and marine protection. Before Boris Herrmann, Dieter Rümmeli was awarded the Order of Merit from the world of sailing in 2006. The sailor and sailing sports official had taken part in Kiel Week 24 times and, as the successor to Otto Schlenzka, had steered it for 20 years as head of organisation.
I am touched and impressed by this medal. Half of sailing races are won on land, so this medal is an honour for the entire Malizia team!"
At the request of YACHT, a statement from the Federal President's Office stated the reasons for honouring Boris Herrmann: "In addition to ocean sailing, Boris Herrmann is also committed to global environmental and marine protection and has combined sailing with environmental, climate protection and sustainability since the beginning of his time as a professional sailor. For example, before the Vendeé Globe (Editor's note: Herrmann's first solo circumnavigation in 2020/2021) installed an automatic laboratory in its yacht, the data from which was analysed by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology and the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, thus making an important contribution to documenting the development of climate change."
The commitment of Team Malizia
The award also recognises the commitment of Team Malizia, which was founded by the five-time circumnavigator in 2016 with Monaco's princely nephew Pierre Casiraghi. The Office of the Federal President said: "With the Malizia Mangrove Park, Boris Herrmann has launched a project that contributes to the fight against climate change by planting trees in a mangrove nature reserve. He also provides teaching materials for schools with the My Ocean Challence project, which combines the areas of sport and environmental protection."
In sporting terms, one of the most important years of his career has begun for Boris Herrmann, who was born in Oldenburg, is at home on the world's oceans and lives in Hamburg: Before the start of his second Vendée Globe on 10 November, he will be competing in two single-handed transatlantic races in the first half of the year: the Transat CIC from 28 April and the New York Vendée - Les Sables-d'Olonne from 29 May. The racing yacht "Malizia - Seaexplorer" is currently being fitted with a set of new foils.
The future can come ...
The sailing mastermind, who lives in Hamburg with his wife Birte Lorenzen-Herrmann and daughter Marie-Louise, invested the winter break in the future: "I worked a lot on what will happen to Team Malizia after the Vendée Globe and the Ocean Race Europe 2025. The team is on a firm footing. I want to continue the team's history."
