The winter refit of "Malizia - Seaexplorer" will be completed in around two weeks' time. Boris Herrmann's Vendée Globe Imoca will then be put back into operation for the new season. The skipper and his team are looking forward to an exciting season with very different highlights.
Boris Herrmann had already referred to some of this year's sporting highlights in a major exclusive interview with YACHT at the end of March. Click here for part 1 of the interview, to Part 2 here. Its third Vendée Globe cycle begins with the new season. However, the team will not officially comment on new construction plans until the coming months.
Volunteers needed for the Imoca season opener
Team Malizia's founder and skipper, who is currently mainly working on sailing and climate future projects on land, will not yet be taking part in the first regatta of the new Imoca season. It has not yet been confirmed who will sail the regatta on "Malizia - Seaexplorer". The starting shot for La Course des Caps will be fired on 29 June in Boulogne-sur-Mer, around 40 kilometres south of Calais near the Strait of Dover, without him.
The race will take four-person mixed teams, including an on-board reporter, from and to Boulogne-sur-Mer over around 2000 nautical miles around the British Isles. The Imocas will be travelling for five to eight days in this first qualifying race for the Vendée Globe 2028 and the first event of the Imoca Globe Series 2025.
The boats and their teams will arrive in Boulogne-sur-Mer on 23 June, where they will be on display in the Race Village throughout the week. The organisers are planning various fan activities and are also looking for volunteers for their race with the full name La Course des Caps Boulogne-sur-Mer Banque Populaire du Nord.
Admiral's Cup premiere for Boris Herrmann
On 27 June - similar to the autumn classic Le Défi Azimut - the speed runs of the Course des Caps will take place before the offshore race itself begins two days later. The fastest Imocas are expected to cross the finish line again from around 6 July. Boris Herrmann will then already have his first Admiral's Cup participation in his sights and will contest the legendary team competition on its comeback off Cowes on the Isle of Wight with Peter Harrison's team from the Yacht Club de Monaco.
The Monegasques' two-boat team consists of the TP52 "Jolt 3" and the Carkeek 40 "Jolt 6", which is skippered by Team Malizia's founder Pierre Casiraghi. Boris Herrmann is also in action on the Carkeek 40 for his Admiral's Cup premiere.
15 teams are now expected to attend the European summit of offshore sailing. Among them are three German teams: the team from the Bayerischer Yacht-Club ("Ginkgo", "Red Bandit"), the Hamburg Sailing Team ("Elida", "Edelweiß") and the team from the Regatta Verein Greifswald ("Imagine", "X-Day").
The Ocean Race Europe in our sights
The first Admiral's Cup since 2003 begins on 19 July with the 24-hour classic Channel Race (110 to 160 nautical miles; double classification), which has been sailed since 1928, followed by three days of different short distances. The infamous Rolex Fastnet Race (triple classification), which has been held for 100 years and is one of the most famous long-distance races in the sailing world, follows a day off on 26 July.
The Admiral's Cup, which was first organised in 1957, was always called the "Unofficial World Sailing Championship" in its heyday. The organisers want to regain this reputation with an already remarkable field. Just over a week after the official final of the Admiral's Cup, all eyes will be on Kiel.
The starting shot for the Ocean Race Europe will be fired off Kiel on 10 August. For Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia, the farewell gala will then begin with "Malizia - Seaexplorer" before the boat is handed over to Francesca Clapcich. Boris Herrmann is looking forward to the Ocean Race Europe team challenge with great anticipation.
One last European gala with "Malizia - Seaexplorer"
The 43-year-old six-time circumnavigator said: "I am really looking forward to the Ocean Race Europe 2025, and while I love the challenge of sailing solo, there is something very special about sailing with a crew. I'm looking forward to being back on board 'Malizia - Seaexplorer' with a great team where each member brings their own strengths and motivates us to improve and push ourselves to our limits."
At the same time, Boris Herrmann announced that he will not sail all legs of the little European sister of the team circumnavigation The Ocean Race. He said: "I will skipper our great boat, and if I am not on board on certain legs, Will Harris will take over as skipper, as he did on two legs of the Ocean Race."
Will is a talented sailor, a strong leader and knows this boat like the back of his hand." Boris Herrmann
Boris Herrmann said of his longstanding and loyal companion and co-skipper: "Will will do an excellent job and drive both the boat and the crew." Cole Brauer is already on board as co-skipper. Further crew introductions are still pending, were still labelled "secret" by Team Malizia in mid-April, but remain announced for "the coming months".
The new short clip with which Team Malizia signals great anticipation for the season:
