The experts on site had doubts as to whether "Malizia's" survey, including all the necessary tests, could be completed within one flood. But with two cranes and a dedicated team of eight, the task was accomplished. Although Team Malizia still has a week and a half of intensive work ahead of them before the newly painted Imoca yacht with its revised underwater hull can make its first trial runs, Boris Herrmann is already looking forward to it.
The first race with "Malizia" will take place on 8 May. That's when the starting signal will be given for the Bermude 1000 single-handed race from France to the Azores and back. "The name of the regatta is somewhat misleading and is dedicated to the name of the sponsor," says Herrmann with a smile, "the race should actually be called Azores 2000 because it is a single-handed race of around 2000 nautical miles around the Azores and back. The race starts in Douarnenez and finishes in the French harbour of Brest after rounding the Azores and the Fastnet Rock.
Before that, Boris Herrmann and his team still have a lot to do. However, the main work has already been done at the shipyard. "We basically put 'Malizia' through the MOT," explains Herrmann. The boat was x-rayed and checked for hairline cracks in metal or composite components using ultrasound. The rudders went through the MRT. The keel fin and keel bomb were taken apart, as prescribed by the class rules at least every four years. The bowsprit was changed in favour of faster sail changes. While the classic 90-degree load test was carried out in practice on Saturday morning, the 180-degree test is now carried out numerically on the computer. "We had to adjust the keel angle and ballast tanks a little, we were a bit tight," explains Herrmann. A solar system was also installed on "Malizia". Now the boat needs to be perfectly reassembled, tested and adjusted. "We have about ten days of full-throttle work ahead of us, then we're ready to go," said Herrmann.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
