Vendée Globe: "Born to Race" with Boris Herrmann - Aiming for performance

With a total of seven films - one per month - Team Malizia will be following its new Imoca until the planned launch at the end of June. This boat is set to shine in The Ocean Race in 2027 and successfully carry Boris Herrmann around the world in the third Vendée Globe solo race in 2028.

The latest documentary episode takes a look at the development process of the new Imoca from very different perspectives. In part one, Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia outlined their vision for the new building. In part two, starting on Wednesday, the focus will be on how different movements affect the performance of a racing yacht.

Imoca new build for Ocean Race and Vendée Globe: it's all a question of movement

Malizia's team founder Boris Herrmann, co-skipper Will Harris, designer Antoine Koch, Malizia Technical Director Pifou Dargnies, Composites Department Manager Clément Caumont and technical consultant Jesse Naimark-Rowse are the protagonists who have their say in episode two of the Malizia series "Born to Race". Their assessments and comments provide an exciting picture of what and how the future "Malizia 4" should be. One thing has long been clear: it will be very different from its predecessor "Malizia - Seaexplorer".

We will try to be as versatile as possible." Will Harris

Part two of the series is not just about speed, but about how a hull moves in which conditions, how it reacts and how the movements of those on board also influence the Imoca's performance potential in the most demanding races such as the Vendée Globe. Team Malizia sheds light on how the constantly changing movements at sea influence design decisions. And Boris Herrmann is already fond of his new boat.

I love the aggressive lines. It looks very elegant." Boris Herrmann

Because hull shape, structure and weight distribution on a boat have an enormous influence on how a boat reacts to constantly changing wind and wave conditions, how it accelerates and how it lifts out of the water on its foils, Team Malizia dedicates a separate series to this topic.

The team will be showing the hull of the new boat for the first time, the concept of which Boris Herrmann will explain in broad strokes "on board". One thing can be revealed in advance at this point: the comfortable headroom in the large cockpit below deck of the predecessor "Malizia - Seaexplorer" will no longer exist in this form.

The keyword is "Performance in Motion"

The second documentary chapter is called "Performance in Motion" and will be broadcast on Team Malizia's YouTube channel, which will soon be approaching the 100,000 mark with 92,800 subscribers. In the ongoing construction process, Team Malizia is practising the balancing act between striving for perfection, which is almost impossible to achieve in the highly complex sport of sailing, and the compromises that have to be made on the course of the Ocean Race 2027 and Vendée Globe 2028 during the creation of the all-rounder.

This is exactly what Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia are working hard on. Boris Herrmann has already expressed the hopes associated with the new boat: "My goal with this boat is to win The Ocean Race and sail a great Vendée Globe."

If you want to progress, if you want to improve and if you want to win a race, then perhaps the most important thing is to create something new." Pifou Dargnies

Because ergonomics also determine how efficiently sailors can propel a boat for days and weeks at sea, it is also an important aspect for Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia when designing and building "Malizia 4". During its development at CDK Technologies, the ideas and plans also have to be harmonised with the limitations and imperatives of the Imoca class. The documentary shows how a strongly performance-orientated mindset is translated into very concrete decisions when developing a new racing yacht.

Here is the trailer for the documentary series "Born to Race" with Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia. The new episode can be viewed via the Malizia YouTube channel from 25 February (6 pm):