The Ocean Race: Attack with flaming hearts and strong foils

Normally, Boris Herrmann tends to be reserved when it comes to making predictions. But when previewing the upcoming mammoth leg of the round-the-world race, the 41-year-old cannot and will not hide his anticipation and optimism. "I'm looking forward to the third leg because I believe that we can perform very well and maybe even win," said the 41-year-old at a press conference organised by his team in Cape Town on Monday.

The robust "strong wind rocket" is ready

The 12,750 nautical mile Southern Ocean course from Cape Town along the three capes to Itajaí in Brazil is tailor-made for the hull of the Imoca "Malizia - Seaexplorer". At least if the conditions are anything like what you might expect from a mammoth ride through the Southern Ocean. "It's not often," muses Herrmann, "that you run a programme where the conditions come together so well."

This refers to his boat, which is now going into the endurance test with double reinforced foils and, according to Herrmann, will turn up at the starting line "one hundred per cent fit". Both internally and externally, the robust German high-wind rocket is expected to put on a gala performance on leg three. However, Herrmann's optimism also refers to Team Malizia's sail wardrobe, which, unlike the competition, has not suffered any significant damage so far. "Our mainsail is more reinforced than the others," explains co-skipper Will Harris, "which may add a bit more weight, but you can see what bad trouble the others have already had with their mainsails."

Boris Herrmann: "Of course, you can never be sure"

Of course, Boris Herrmann and his team know that everything can turn out differently in sailing at the highest world level. The 41-year-old from Hamburg said: "If we experience certain conditions on leg three, things could go very much in our favour. But of course you can never be sure. We could also get light winds after the start in Cape Town. Or we could experience a huge area of high pressure in the middle of the stage. We could also end up sailing around Cape Horn and get stuck there ..."

But rather than dwelling on such thoughts, Boris Herrmann is looking forward to his comeback as skipper. His foot, which was scalded on stage one, has healed very well. Herrmann praised the South African healthcare system and said: "I found a very good burn specialist. The injury healed faster than would have been possible with conventional medicine."

"The stage concept provides more security"

In addition to the competition, the South Sea lover is looking forward to a special encounter: "I hope we pass Cape Horn in such a way that we can reach and see it in a good position. Sometimes the weather keeps you too far away. It's such a cool and legendary landmark!" The mammoth leg along the three capes - South Africa's Cape of Good Hope, Australia's Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn - starts on 26 February. The crews will be battling for double points for around a month non-stop and mostly in the Southern Ocean.

Boris Herrmann likes the fact that half of these points are awarded at 143 degrees east longitude and half at the finish: "I like this concept and am pleased that we are not stopping there. This will give us the chance to immerse ourselves completely in our bubble, in our little microcosm on board. Nobody in New Zealand or Australia or wherever is pulling us out of it. Sailing on is cool. And it's also an interesting task in the race to consolidate the points scored at the first waypoint. That gives you more security. If the leg only gave double points at the end, it would be very nerve-wracking."

Three important Malizia sails for the royal stage

Team Malizia is focussing on three sails for the third leg, as Boris Herrmann explains: "We have three very good and efficient downwind sails: two different Code Zeros and then a smaller Code sail (Fractional Zero) with a shorter luff, which is set on a lower halyard. These three sails will probably cover around 80 per cent of the leg. We expect to use these sails intensively. We don't want to lose any of them."

Overall, Boris Herrmann is highly satisfied with his team's sail wardrobe so far: "We don't think we need to make any major changes to ensure the reliability of our sails for the upcoming leg. They are in good shape and have been well managed by the team during the stages. No sails were damaged on the last leg. They all arrived here in Cape Town in good condition." A team is allowed to operate with a total of 13 sails in the 14th The Ocean Race. Eight are allowed on board per leg.

The further north the ice edge, the narrower the sailing corridor

Looking ahead to leg three, it will be exciting to see how high the race organisers will set the ice limit in relation to the current ice danger to the north. "The higher the ice limit goes, the narrower our sailing corridor becomes," says Team Malizia's navigator Nico Lunven. The Frenchman explains: "On this leg, you sail in the Southern Ocean like in a corridor. It is bordered to the south by the ice exclusion zone and to the north by a kind of high-pressure exclusion zone. So the higher the ice limit is drawn, the narrower the corridor becomes with its westerly winds, in which you want to stay."

The other theoretical formula attached to this scenario could affect Team Malizia: If the ice limit is raised, there may be less room to sail in very strong winds. Nico Lunven nods and says: "It's true that it's not so good for us if the ice limit is drawn too far north."

"More honey, more cheese, more hot chocolate"

Team Malizia has upgraded for the brutally cold Southern Ocean Marathon after the experiences of the first stages: "More honey, more cheese, more hot chocolate and more layers for the sleeping bags," says Malizia sailor Rosalin Kuiper spontaneously. The sports psychologist is nevertheless looking forward to the stage: "I'm most looking forward to returning to our bubble on board."

Rosalin Kuiper described the impetus for this as follows: "When we arrived in Cape Town, I felt a little lost. I felt like I had to leave home. We had such a nice flight and an easy life with strict routines on board. Then you come ashore and there are all these outside influences ... That's why I'm so looking forward to Sunday, to casting off, to getting back into the rhythm of wakefulness and normal life on board."

The special feeling of Nico Lunven

Nico Lunven gave a philosophical answer to the question of what he is most looking forward to when thinking about the "monster stage": "The remote areas of the world appeal to me. The fact that you can feel that it's a great opportunity to be there with a team. On the one hand, you feel that you shouldn't be there. On the other hand, you have the opportunity to be there anyway. That's a very special feeling for me."