Route du Rhum: Boris Herrmann sets off solo in the legendary Route du Rhum race

Boris Herrmann won’t be wasting any time with his new boat. Following the launch on 6 July and the christening party on 18 July – which will also mark Team Malizia’s tenth anniversary – the 45-year-old will, after his stint with the Kieler Woche, set sail on the research vessel “Malizia Explorer” and the summer cruise with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Home match in Kiel Finally back to getting stuck into sport again.

First the Ocean Race Atlantic, then the Route du Rhum

Team Malizia has just a few weeks to prepare between the launch and the start of the Ocean Race Atlantic from New York to Lorient. The starting signal for the team race across the Atlantic will be given on 1 September in the Big Apple. And the new boat still has to be transported there first.

Even after that, the action continues at a breathless pace with the brand-new Imoca, as the starting signal for the race will be given at 1.02 pm on 1 November in Saint-Malo Route du Rhum. Team Malizia has now confirmed that Boris Herrmann will be competing in the legendary Rhum race as a solo sailor with the new “Malizia 4” will take part in. This means that, in the second half of the year, the Atlantic will become a sort of “main home” for Germany’s most famous sailor.

​The 13th edition of the “Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe” will once again bring together the best solo sailors in the world on the Atlantic this year. From Sam Goodchild and Thomas Ruyant to the feisty women such as Violette Dorange, Frankie Clapcich and Élodie Bonafous, right through to strong contenders such as Seb Simon, Ambrogio Beccaria, Corentin Horeau and Jérémie Beyou – all renowned solo sailors with active IMOCA yachts will be on the starting line. Switzerland’s Oliver Heer is also among the field of 26 IMOCA solo sailors. One name will be missing from the line-up: Charlie Dalin, who passed away on 11 June.

​Including the Route du Rhum: three crossings of the Atlantic in three months

The Route du Rhum single-handed sailing race is held every four years. A total of 117 solo sailors are expected to take part in the upcoming edition. Further last-minute wildcard entries are possible. The course runs from Saint-Malo in northern France to Pointe-à-Pitre on Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.

The theoretical distance to be covered is 3,542 nautical miles (6,560 km). Professionals, well-known figures from the world of sailing and passionate amateur sailors all compete together in the race, which is now contested across six classes: Ultim, Imoca, Ocean Fifty, Class40, Vintage Multi and Vintage Mono. For the Imoca class, the race also serves as a qualifier for the 2028/2029 Vendée Globe.

For Team Malizia, the “Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe 2026” is a major milestone in a packed first season with its the eagerly awaited new boat. Even before the Route du Rhum, the Ocean Race Atlantic – the inaugural edition of the new team race from New York to Lorient – is on the calendar. Like the Ocean Race Europe, in which Team Malizia competed last year, the Ocean Race Atlantic is a spin-off of The Ocean Race.

Boris Herrmann: pushed to the limit with the new “Malizia 4”

The Ocean Race is the best-known round-the-world team race in stages. Team Malizia intends to compete in it in 2027, the year of the America’s Cup. The fact that Boris Herrmann has now also included the Route du Rhum in his ambitious regatta schedule reflects his need for as many test and optimisation races as possible for the ‘Neue’, but also his passion for this classic race.

"The Route du Rhum is one of the legendary races in our sport, and I’m really looking forward to competing in it again – this time on our new boat." Boris Herrmann

The six-time round-the-world sailor, who lives in Hamburg, is looking forward to his first major solo challenge with the new “Malizia 4” Looking forward to it with great anticipation, he said: “This will be my third time taking part in this race, but every edition is different, and every boat brings new challenges. A new IMOCA boat always means a lot of work, a learning curve and preparation. So it’s really exciting that the launch is just a week away and we’re already looking forward to Saint-Malo.”

Debut solo race with the new boat in the Route du Rhum

A week before the launch in Lorient, Herrmann said: “The Route du Rhum will be my first solo race on this boat and will mark a very important step in the run-up to the Vendée Globe, as well as in our wider racing programme for Team Malizia.” Having finished fifth on his Route du Rhum debut in 2018 and 24th on his second attempt in 2022, it will be exciting to see just how far Boris Herrmann can push his new IMOCA in its first few months.

With “Malizia 4”, Team Malizia is embarking on a new, third major chapter in the team’s history in 2016, ten years after its foundation by Pierre Casiraghi and Boris Herrmann. Following the launch, the team will immediately begin its intensive first summer testing and training phase to prepare the skipper, crew and, above all, the boat for the upcoming, even greater challenges.

Like Team Malizia’s previous boats, the new IMOCA will also be fitted with the OceanPack. This automated mini-laboratory will be in operation during training and races, collecting valuable data for research and science, which will also contribute to long-term research and a better understanding of the role of the oceans in the climate system.

“Born to Race!” Part 6 of the Malizia series explores the identity of Team Malizia: