One German team and one with German participation are competing in the Défi Azimut, a week-long Imoca race off the coast of Lorient, France. The regatta takes place over six days (13 to 18 September) off the coast of Lorient in Brittany. It includes speed runs and longer races. An impressively large fleet will be competing in this 12th edition: 30 Imocas will be on the start line, as the Défi Azimut is the last competition between Imoca class boats before the Route du Rhum 2022 and the Ocean Race 2023. All Imoca racing yachts taking part in next year's round the world race will also be at this week's event.
Boris Herrmann is at the start
Among them is Boris Herrmann with "Malizia - Seaexplorer". It will be the first regatta for him, his new crew and the new boat, which was christened in Hamburg on 6 September.
"Malizia - Seaexplorer" is taking part in the Speed Runs today, where guests and partners of the team can experience sailing on the new boat for the first time. During the 48-hour azimuth race on Thursday, Team Malizia will sail a circuit of the Atlantic in The Ocean Race crew mode, with Boris Herrmann (41, German) as skipper, Will Harris (28, English), Rosalin Kuiper (27, Dutch) and Nico Lunven (39, French) as co-skippers and Antoine Auriol (37, French-German) as onboard reporter.
The Défi Azimut is the last competition as a crew before the Ocean Race, which starts on 15 January 2023 in Alicante, Spain. Until then, the team will train in crew configuration during training sessions such as in Port-La-Forêt and during crossings such as from Guadeloupe to the Route du Rhum at the end of November.
Robert Stanjek with proven boat and new crew
The former German Offshore Team Germany, which won The Ocean Race Europe with Robert Stanjek, former Starboat World Champion, Benjamin Dutreux, Phillip Kasüske and British circumnavigator Annie Lush, merged with Frenchman Dutreux's team in May of this year. Dutreux's next goal was actually to take part in the Vendée Globe 2024, but the merger has now added The Ocean Race. For the German team, the merger also means a newer boat than the previous "Einstein", which was built for the 2012 Vendée Globe and not yet equipped with foils.
The French team's newer boat is four years younger and came second in the 2016/17 Vendée Globe as the "Hugo Boss". It has already been fitted with foils and served the 11th Hour Racing team as a training boat for The Ocean Race. The team is now called Guyot Environnement - Team Europe.
Isabelle Joschke at the start
The German-French Isabelle Joschke is also at the start with "MACSF". We have just published an interview with her.
