Water fountains, shouts of Boris and repeated cheers from the banks and on the water: thousands of fans celebrated the arrival of Vendée Globe hero Boris Herrmann and his team Malizia with their new racing yacht "Malizia - Seaexplorer" in Hamburg on Tuesday. The colourful 18-metre-long boat sailed slowly up the Elbe in the morning with a growing fleet of up to 70 boats from the surrounding clubs on course for the Elbphilharmonie. Ship's horns repeatedly created a goosebump atmosphere. The loudest greeting came from the "Cap San Diego". Television crews from ZDF, ARD and NDR were working non-stop. The public broadcasters reported live from the Hanseatic city - from the water and from land.
To thunderous applause, the colourful boat turned left from the Elphi into the Sandtor harbour after four and a half hours of "Elb-Parade". There, at 1.20 p.m., 100 schoolchildren christened the hopeful "Malizia - Seaexplorer". The children pulled together on the long rope for the christening device. The champagne bottle burst at the second attempt on the bright red prow of the racing car. Presenter Julia-Niharika Sen charmingly declared attempt one to be the "dress rehearsal" for the children. The skipper himself counted down the time. The children wished the boat "a long life", "lots of adventures" and "that she doesn't sink".
The moment of baptism
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Around 60 young fans from Hamburg's sailing clubs on the Elbe and Alster had already loudly accompanied the boat on the Elbe with posters and cuddly toys. Primary and secondary school pupils had been given the day off school on climate mission on request. The official christening slogan was: "Malizia - Seaexplorer - A race we must win". The ambiguous message about the race that Herrmann wants to win refers to Team Malizia's climate protection mission and the sailing challenges.
Boris Herrmann: This boat is a beast
The four-time circumnavigator said of his racing projectile with its 29 metre high mast: "This boat really is a beast that wants to race to the front. It's a prototype full of high-tech with a lot of potential." After the christening, the 41-year-old skipper and father of a two-year-old daughter spontaneously invited all the local children onto his boat. Malizia sailor Rosalin Kuiper from Holland, who danced across the deck with the children like a "good mood fairy" in a polonaise, made the next big sporting goal clear: "My wish is, of course, that we win the Ocean Race."
The most famous team race around the world starts on 15 January 2023. Before the team challenge, Herrmann will take part solo in the French regatta Défi Azimut and the transatlantic classic Route du Rhum from 6 November. Hamburg's sports senator Andi Grote was delighted at the cheerful ceremony "that the Hafencity is characterised by sport on this great day". As a christening guest, he also boarded the "Malizia - Seaexplorer" and said:
"I wish Boris Herrmann and his team that this boat lives a long life and achieves great success."
Team Malizia celebrates the homecoming of its skipper and team founder for two days with the public Malizia Ocean Festival in the traditional harbour at the foot of the Magellan Terraces. In addition to information stands on sustainable shipping, band performances and maritime art, the programme includes an autograph session with Boris Herrmann and his wife Birte Herrmann-Lorenzen on 7 September. They will be presenting their new children's book, "My Ocean Challenge - Kurs auf Klimaschutz". On 8 September, the Mahatma Gandhi Bridge at the entrance to Sandtorhafen will reopen at 3.30 pm. Boris Herrmann and his hopeful will then bid farewell to the Hanseatic city and head back to Lorient in Brittany.
Didn't get a chance to see the boat? Here you can even walk through the boat and see everything at your leisure:
