Transat CIC: Boris Herrmann ahead of the Transat start on Sunday - "The boat has got faster"

"Malizia - Seaexplorer" skipper Boris Herrmann, who was one of the two winners of a show race around the island of Groix on Wednesday, said at a press conference on Thursday: "The boat has become faster with the new foils. At the same time, we have regained the sailing characteristics that we knew and liked. In other words, the boat is very tolerant and reacts well. Even in rough seas and changing gusty winds. The training went well for us and makes us want more."

Transat CIC: Three favourites and strong women

On paper, the Transat favourites are three Frenchmen with their new boats: Charlie Dalin ("Macif"), Jérémie Beyou ("Charal") and Yoann Richomme ("Paprec Arkéa"). Racing team mates Thomas Ruyant and Sam Goodchild are not taking part. Boris Herrmann gave an indication of further strong competition after training with the Pôle Finistère, with whom almost all of the Imoca greats are preparing for their e-races. "It has to be said that the women are very strong, which is quite pleasing," said Herrmann, "it really isn't a sport where performance depends on gender. On the contrary, almost..."

Herrmann referred to a joint offshore mission and said: "In any case, it was the case that the women in the fleet were particularly strong during the training - as in previous races - and were perhaps among the fastest. For example, there is the very young French sailor Violette Dorange with Jean Le Cam's old boat, who found her perfect conditions during the long offshore training: light winds and flat water. She did really well. We were 14 boats in total. It was a great warm-up for the race that's coming up now."

Boris Herrmann is not bothered by the fact that the regatta is rather wind-heavy, while the Vendée Globe finishing race has much less to offer. He is looking forward to foiling downwind "because our boat is strong". He continued: "The more wind, the more competitive we are there. And we are also very competitive in light winds. In medium winds, we have a small deficit compared to 'Macif', for example. She is now the strongest boat in the wind in medium winds. There can be big differences in phases. If someone starts foiling downwind at 15 knots of wind and we only start at 16, and that takes half a day, then of course there can be a huge delta..."

Other conditions: Transat CIC is not Vendée Globe

No cause for concern for Boris Herrmann: "I wouldn't stress too much about that. I'm taking a relaxed approach to the race. With the Vendée Globe we know: very little upwind sailing. The Vendée Globe is usually 80 per cent downwind. That's what we built our boat for. We're also quite good at that."

Malizia's team founder explained: "You can never win anything anywhere in yacht architecture. You always have to pay a price. In other words, a ship that is really good downwind, like 'Macif', is more difficult to get through the sea with a lot of wind and waves downwind. In this respect, it wouldn't upset me if we were to lag behind for a while in medium winds. That can certainly happen." In strong winds, for example, "Charal with its V-shaped rudder arrangement is significantly faster than others". But, says Herrmann: "That doesn't stress any of us for the Vendée Globe, because we simply know that the average conditions there are different."

16 years ago: Transat premiere with "Beluga Racer"

Regarding his own racing goals, Boris Herrmann said he wanted to "get back into the solo rhythm and hopefully gain self-confidence" after the Ocean Race. The final qualification for his second Vendée Globe start on 10 November is just a formality for the 42-year-old from Hamburg: he has to cross the start line of the Transat CIC with "Malizia - Seaexplorer". After that, he can contest the race across the North Atlantic unencumbered by any qualification pressure.

Nostalgic reasons also play a role for Boris Herrmann in his Transat commitment. The "Malizia - Seaexplorer" skipper said: "I'm also taking part in the regatta because of a personal soft spot. It was my first big regatta in 2008 - at that time still with 'Beluga Racer' in the Class40 - in which I started on my own initiative. It was a bit like the start of my professional career." Back then, Boris Herrmann came second with "Beluga Racer" in the Artemis Transat in spring 2008, before winning the Portimão Global Race with Felix Oehme.

The Transat CIC solo race starts on Sunday at 1.30 pm. The live broadcast via the organisers' homepage with French and English commentary will run from 1pm to 2pm on the YouTube channel here. Boris Herrmann leaves the dock with "Malizia - Seaexplorer" at 11.26 am.

Training for the Transat CIC - insights into Team Malizia's preparations for the season overture: