Nico Lunven, Boris Herrmann, Rosalin Kuiper, and Will Harris raced around the world as Team Malizia in The Ocean Race 2022-23

Team Malizia and Team Holcim-PRB competed in the iconic Ocean Race around the world

Big news in the sailing world: Our Ocean Race sailors Nico Lunven and Rosalin Kuiper have been announced today as the new skippers of Team Holcim-PRB. Congratulations to them, what an exciting future!

Rosalin Kuiper and Nico Lunven, who were part of the Malizia crew during The Ocean Race 2022-23, are Team Holcim-PRB's new skippers.

New Horizons For Our Ocean Race Sailors Nico Lunven And Rosalin Kuiper

New Horizons For Our Ocean Race Crew: Nico Lunven And Rosalin Kuiper Become Skippers Of Team Holcim-PRB

The collective artwork is exhibited in the Deichtorhallen Hamburg until the end of September

"Make Climate Change Visible", the collective artwork as a powerful message

Boris Herrmann and the school from around the world participated in a Zoom call during the opening of the exhibition which revealed the final installation made out of the 600 sails

On 7 September 2023, Team Malizia and the Deichtorhallen opened the "Make Climate Change Visible - Sailing Around The World With Team Malizia" student exhibition in Hamburg. The artwork was created as part of the My Ocean Challenge education programme with children from 9 countries at each stage of The Ocean Race 2022-2023.

Over 600 little sails created by children in the Malizia Ocean Challenge programme during The Ocean Race have come together in a large art installation exhibited at the Deichtorhallen in Hamburg

Team Malizia and the Deichtorhallen opened the "Make Climate Change Visible - Sailing Around The World With Team Malizia" student exhibition yesterday in Hamburg. The artwork was created as part of the My Ocean Challenge education programme with children from 9 countries at each stage of The Ocean Race 2022-2023.

My Ocean Challenge - A School Children Artwork Travels Around The World

My Ocean Challenge - A School Children Artwork Travels Around The World With Team Malizia

Das Kunstwerk wird aus über 600 künstlerischen Arbeiten von Schülern aus 9 Ländern zusammengeführt und in den Deichtorhallen Hamburg ausgestellt. Hier Kinder aus Kapstadt, Südafrika mit Birte Lorenzen-Herrmann

Boris Herrmann (links) mit Schüler*innen in Newport, USA, im Mai 2023

Eine Schülerin aus Genua während der My Ocean Challenge Veranstaltung in Italien

In einem kleinen Buch, welches mit der Malizia - Seaexplorer um die Welt segelte, hielten die Kinder „gute Wünsche“ für die Klasse des nächsten Etappenstopps fest

Ein Schüler*innen-Kunstwerk reist mit Team Malizia um die Welt. Am 7. September 2023 eröffnen Team Malizia und die Deichtorhallen die “Make Climate Change Visible - Sailing Around The World With Team Malizia” Schüler*innen-Ausstellung in Hamburg. Das Kunstwerk entstand im Rahmen des My Ocean Challenge Bildungsprogramm mit Kindern aus 9 Ländern bei jedem Etappenstopp des Ocean Race 2022-2023.

Birte Lorenzen-Herrmann (rechts) mit den Schülern der Stadtteilschule Stellingen bei der Planung und Umsetzung der Kunstausstellung

My Ocean Challenge in den Deichtorhallen Hamburg

Malizia - Seaexplorer being rolled out of the shed after undergoing a summer refit

A happy skipper Boris Herrmann and Head of Composite Clément Caumont during the boat launch

After a short six week summer refit, Boris Herrmann and his Malizia - Seaexplorer are back on the water in Lorient and ready to finish the 2023 race season.

Boris Herrmann in Lorient for the launch of his Malizia - Seaexplorer race yacht after a short summer refit following The Ocean Race

Boris Herrmann And Team Malizia Are Back On The Water

The first stop back in Europe did not disappoint: Thousands of fans came to Aarhus to see the boats and crews, some having travelled from far away!

Boris Herrmann spoke at The Ocean Race's Ocean Summit in Aarhus, along with Toste Tanhua from Geomar, a chemical oceanographer that Team Malizia has been working closely with for many years to collect data and understand the role of the Ocean in climate change.

At every stopover, we had an activation area where we welcomed the public to present our team, our mission, talk about the data we collect, our My Ocean Challenge educational programme, and our Malizia Mangrove Park. Fans could also see our merchandise and enjoy a La Marzocco coffee in exchange for a donation to our mangrove park!

Our Malizia My Ocean Challenge educational materials are available for free in 12 languages! Of course, we also hosted a kids event in Denmark.

Axelle Pillain, who has been working in the technical team for over a year and had sailed the Mini Transat herself, joined the crew in Aarhus for Leg 6 to The Hague.

Women in action! Rosalin and Axelle giving it their all on the coffee grinder during the Aarhus In-Port Race on 4 June 2023.

Meanwhile Boris and Will were on deck steering and being on the lockout.

Four of the boats racing in Aarhus: Biotherm had just rejoined the fleet the night before after their shortened Leg 5 and outrigger repairs in Norway. Even though Team Malizia finished in fourth position, this was a great day as the French team ended up winning the In-Port race, their first win in this Ocean Race.

Three days later, all the teams welcomed GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, who finally rejoined the fleet after their dismasting towards the end of Leg 4, transport to Europe, and repairs in Kiel.

A sight we had all missed: the IMOCA fleet back together with 5 boats on the start line.

After a challenging inshore course in almost no wind, the five IMOCA race yachts departed on 8 June 2023 from Aarhus, Denmark for the 800 nautical mile-long Leg 6, racing in the shortest but also of the most complex and coastal legs which saw them sail to Kiel for a fly-by before heading to The Hague, Netherlands. Team Malizia got off to a tricky start in very light wind conditions, not being able to bear away enough and being pushed by Team Holcim-PRB over the line early and having to restart the race. As the conditions dropped to “zero wind”, the race committee decided to shorten the inshore section of the painfully slow drag race to a one-lap course, with Malizia passing the leaving gate in fifth position.

Drone shot of the fleet sailing towards Kiel in very light wind conditions.

After having departed Aarhus, the boats had a long first night, with light winds and numerous manoeuvers on their way south to Kiel. Axelle, like the rest of the crew, got maybe only 20 minutes of sleep here and there.

A huge amount of spectator boats welcomed the fleet, and especially the German team, even before their entered the Kiel Fjord. Seeing them already in the night and early morning really kept the crew motivated and excited to reach Kiel as fast as possible.

What a show! Thousands of spectators boats had come to see Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia round the mark in the Kieler Fjord.

Malizia - Seaexplorer coming in hot on her foils into Kiel, a true spectacle for the fans.

Antoine and Rosalin waving to the crowds as they approached the turning mark in Kiel.

Over a 100,000 people had come to the Kiel Fly-By, all bringing an incredible energy! And it wasn’t only the Malizia sailors that received a warm welcome - the Malizia shore team were also on site and warmly welcomed by the many German fans sporting Malizia-branded hats and T-shirts. The team took selfies and signed T-shirts with the strong German crowd.

Rounding the mark in fifth position didn’t stop the crowds and the team from enjoying a very emotional moment. For Boris, the Fly-By in Kiel was such a special highlight, like the passage of Cape Horn, saying he would never forget this and thanking everyone that came to Kiel. So many people, so much energy, the crowds cheering for the teams… The conditions were quite challenging, quite gusty, and of course a narrow passage which is unusual for IMOCA race yachts with lots of manoeuvres.

Was this a Vendée Globe arrival or the Kiel Fly-By? The German fly-by was a great success with an incredible amount of spectators both at sea and on the shore, and some great sailing action only a few hundred meters from the shoreline.

After the Kiel Fly-By, Malizia - Seaexplorer raced north to pass Aarhus, sail around Skagen and head back into the North Sea. The crews then had to avoid area with many wind farms and cargo ships as they raced towards The Hague, Netherlands.

Team Malizia finished Leg 6 in third place on 11 June 2023, after an incredible intense battle with runner-up Team Holcim-PRB. Team Malizia kept their hopes alive and arrived only 1 minute and 20 seconds after their Swiss competitor, and 13 minutes and 43 seconds after Leg 6 winner 11th Hour Racing Team.

“It’s incredible to come into The Hague like this, we pushed, we pushed…”, said hometown hero Rosalin. “It was such an intense fight, especially in the last hours. We sailed about three days but slept only 8 hours or so. However, having my friends, my family, our team, and all the Dutch supporters that follow the race and are present here today is an incredible feeling. I cannot even begin to explain how I am feeling right now!”

Just after the finish line, our crew received a very special welcome by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of The Netherlands who stepped onto our boat to congratulate Rosalin and the Malizia crew. Thousands of people had gathered on the shoreline, cheering for the team and ready to start festivities.

Welcome to Rosieland! Hundreds of Dutch fans had come to cheer for Rosalin, the only female sailor who would sail all the legs of this edition of The Ocean Race.

Arriving in The Hague in third place, Team Malizia had secured a podium place in the overall ranking of The Ocean Race with 27 points. Leg 6 winner 11th Hour Racing lead the overall scoreboard with 33 points, and Team Holcim-PRB is second with 31 points. At this point in the race, a first place finish wasn't possible anymore but there was still a tiny chance to get second place.

The VO65 and IMOCA fleet together in The Hague. This stopover was very short, with only 4 days before the start of Leg 7, and very intense with many commercial commitments to fulfil.

Rosalin got to participate in our Dutch kids event, she also took part in the Malizia Sustainability Panel Debate on women empowerment, meet fans, partners, as well as spend a bit of time with her family and friends.

The Hague's In-Port Race: The boats flew in fantastic racing conditions with sunshine and winds reaching almost 20 knots. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe took their first win in one of The Ocean Race's most exciting In-Port Races, only a week after having repaired their boat and rejoined the race.

Nico back onboard: Team Malizia crossed the finish line of The Hague's In-Port Race in third place, still being second in the In-Port series. Little did we know that two days after some fantastic inshore racing, the fleet would be struck by a dramatic turn of events...

The Ocean Race came to an end at the beginning of July and the team is taking a well-deserved rest but this doesn’t mean that you have to miss us over the summer! We have prepared a series of photo articles that we will share one by one in the coming weeks - so that you can relive the last 6 months of incredible racing around the world with some of the most memorable images!

An insane amount of spectator boats following Malizia - Seaexplorer during the Fly-By in Kiel on 9 June 2023.

Best Of Ocean Race: Aarhus, Kiel Fly-By, Leg 6 & The Hague, European Madness

The Ocean Race Rewind: Aarhus, Kiel, Leg 6 & The Hague

Coming in hot! Team Malizia charged into Newport, Rhode Island on 10 May 2023 after 17 days, 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 22 seconds at sea.

The crew skippered by Will finished the leg in second place, only 31 minutes and 41 seconds behind hometown favourites 11th Hour Racing Team after a neck and neck battle in the last days of the race.

With Newport being a rather short stopover, there was no time to waste and the sailors met for their regular sailors and performance debrief.

Big B is back! Boris rejoined the crew as planned in Newport and for the rest of The Ocean Race.

During our My Ocean Challenge kids event in Newport, the local children received a surprise visit from Boris Herrmann!

Our team hosted another Malizia Sustainability Panel Debate, this time on the decarbonisation of the maritime transport industry, with some of our partners as speakers and Boris too.

Race day! As the fleet was about to leave Newport, the crowds had come together to watch the spectacle on the water.

Team Malizia's crew for Leg 5: Rosalin, Boris, Will, Yann, and Antoine.

Initially scheduled for Saturday 20 May 2023, the Newport In-Port Race was postponed due to deteriorating weather conditions and was incorporated into Sunday’s inshore course at the start of Leg 5. Sailing a very clean inshore race, Team Malizia overtook 11th Hour Racing Team before extending their lead and finally winning the In-Port Race, leaving the fleet towards the open sea.

Boris was back as skipper and off for a 3,500 nautical mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean towards Aarhus, Denmark, in a leg expected to last between 10 to 12 days.

First night of Leg 5, with Will and Yann working on the deck of Malizia - Seaexplorer.

Rosie in warm clothing in the cockpit of Malizia - Seaexplorer on day 3 of Leg 5 from Newport, USA, to Aarhus, Denmark.

Yann was in charge of navigation and weather, the very experienced French sailor spent many hours behind the computer to analyse the data and come up with the best strategy possible.

It's day 5 of Leg 5 and Will was very happy about the high speeds they were sailing at!

Beautiful shot of Rosalin sitting in the cockpit as the boat sailed at full speed in the North Atlantic.

Fastest monohull on Earth! On 27 May 2023, Team Malizia broke the 24-hour distance record having sailed 641.13 nautical miles over 24 hours, with an average speed of 26.71 knots! An incredible achievement that will stay in the books!

Birthday boy! The next day, the team celebrated Boris' 42nd birthday with a few gifts, still on a high from breaking the 24-hour distance record.

With the wind dropping on day 8 of Leg 5, Antoine was finally able to fly the drone and capture beautiful images of the fastest monohull on Earth. Before that, the boat was too fast for the drone!

Not a rare sight: Rosalin waving to a cargo ship they saw on day 8.

What's up? Boris checking the rig with a pair of binoculars.

Will and Rosalin on deck in the final hours of Leg 5, the 3 leading boats were really close together.

In the final hours of the race, the team closed the gap to Team Holcim-PRB from over 40 nautical miles down to one. Pushing until the end, Team Malizia sailed neck and neck with their Swiss competitor, finally crossing the line in third position only 5 minutes and 47 seconds later. 11th Hour Racing Team won the leg by arriving 4 hours and 31 minutes earlier.

As he arrived in Aarhus, Boris said: « This boat is now the fastest monohull in the world. That is unbelievable, I want to put a big sticker on the boat! The racing in this leg was amazing, especially at the end with the other boat in view, flat water, sunshine, the Danish coast, a bit of homewaters for me, that was one of the most beautiful days.”

Team Malizia collected valuable points in the double-counting leg, at that stage holding 24 points in the overall ranking and with only 4 points separating them from the American leader.

Best Of Ocean Race: Newport & Leg 5, Breaking Records

The Ocean Race Rewind: Newport & Leg 5

Welcome to the Ocean Live Park in Itajaí, Brazil!

2 April 2023, it had been less than 24 hours and the news hadn’t fully sunk in in our minds just yet: Our team won Leg 3 of The Ocean Race, and we turned our Southern Ocean dream into reality. Whilst the communication team pulled an all-nighter to share the news and amazing photos and videos of the arrival, the technical team went back to the team house to get a few precious hours of sleep before a busy day ahead. Once back at the base, they emptied and cleaned the boat, and started the dismasting procedure. They then lifted our beloved Malizia - Seaexplorer out of the water and on her high cradle, marking the first steps in a two-week long refit period.

One of the first things to check: The mast repair. Our Head of Composite Clément was very happy and impressed by the job the crew had done out on the water.

Another city, another My Ocean Challenge kids event. This time in Portuguese, thanks to Stella & Danny who helped our team for the occasion. Even though it was a rainy day, the children really enjoyed meeting the team, hearing about ocean and climate protection, and getting to see the boat. Highlight of the day: Wearing team members’ jackets to be protected from the rain! A very cute group of mini-Malizians!

Soon after, Communication Manager Helene and Content Creator Jimmy went to the Instituto Terra founded by Sebastiao Salgado and sponsored amongst others by Zurich, one of Team Malizia's main partners, to learn about forest restoration. The famous Brazilian photographer and his wife Lélia created Instituto Terra to save a part of the Atlantic Forest and where already more than 2.5 million trees have been planted to restore the rainforest and bring back a thriving ecosystem.

At every stopover, the race organised Pro-Am events, giving guests the unique opportunity to sail onboard the IMOCA race yachts during short speed run sessions.

Team Malizia's sailing crew for Leg 4 to Newport, USA. As planned from the beginning, Boris wouldn't be onboard for this leg, with Will becoming the skipper and taking over the role for the second time in the race. New addition to the team: Christopher Pratt (right). Rosalin, Nico and Auriol complete the crew.

21 April 2023: Team Malizia and Biotherm are racing against each other in the Itajaí In-Port Race.

It was a last-minute podium finish for Team Malizia: The crew composed of Will, Rosalin, Nico, Christopher, and Antoine got off to a tricky start but fought their way back and finished on the podium after two laps of a rectangular inshore course of the In-Port Race in Itajaí. Team Malizia was now in second place in the In-Port Series ranking.

The Sailors Parade in Itajaí was one of the best ones, with a huge crowd cheering, music, and a fantastic atmosphere to send off the sailors!

Back to racing! The IMOCAs crossed the start line of Leg 4 on 23 April 2023 for a 5,500 nautical mile journey up the Atlantic. 11th Hour Racing Team and GUYOT environnement - Team Europe crossed the line early and had to restart the race.

Rosalin in the wind: Leg 4 was expected to last between 17 to 19 days; At this stage of The Ocean Race, about 60% of the points were still up for grabs.

French sailor Chris hand steering Malizia - Seaexplorer shortly after the start.

The man in charge:  Will was now the skipper and looking at routings during the first night of Leg 4.

About six hours into Leg 4, Nico was hit in the face with the J2 sheet when it slipped off the winch. Although able to continue the race, this resulted in him having a large cut to his nose and damage to his eye. This was not the first time the sailor had suffered a similar injury but this is not what you expected or wanted on your first night at sea. Nico has continued to receive medical advice for his eye which is where he still had pain and kept it covered for a few days.

Day 3, sailing along the Brazilian coast. A few commercial team members who were working from Buzios, Brazil, spotted Malizia - Seaexplorer from the shore! A very lucky and unexpected surprise.

Rosie and Chris on day 4 of the fourth leg of The Ocean Race. The crew was happy and relieved that everything was fine onboard. Which wasn't the case for all the boats: Scoreboard leader Team Holcim-PRB had dismasted the day before.

Showertime! Chris enjoying a bit of luxury onboard: An outside saltwater shower with the famous blue multipurpose bucket!

Will and Rosie in the cockpit on day 7 of Leg 4. Rosie was wearing a headband to prevent sweat to come in contact with a scar from Cape Horn.

Having left Itajaí just over a week before, the fleet of IMOCA boats had been sailing in moderate trade winds. Speeding north, they rounded the corner of northeastern Brazil and reached fairly benign doldrums soon after. Team Malizia had been racing neck and neck with 11th Hour Racing Team, alternating between first and second place. Finally, Team Malizia was the first team to cross the Equator on 1 May after 8 days 3 hours 24 minutes and 57 seconds of competition in the South Atlantic.

Chris hand steering the boat, feeling the wind, and racing neck and neck with 11th Hour Racing Team as the fleet re-entered the Northern Hemisphere.

Small spaces: While Nico was trying to sleep in the heat, Will sat in front of the computer to work on the weather files and routing.

Incredible drone shot of Malizia - Seaexplorer flying in the Atlantic Ocean.

Nico and Rosalin on deck as they were sailing in a storm on day 15 of The Ocean Race. The crew made it safely through the difficult weather conditions. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe however, lost their mast and was the second boat to dismast in Leg 4.

Mast check after the storm: All looked good at 29 meters height! Newport wasn't far away, but would Team Malizia manage to cross the line in front of 11th Hour Racing Team?

Nico and Rosalin on deck as they were sailing in a storm on day 15 of The Ocean Race. The crew made it safely through the difficult weather conditions. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe however, lost their mast, the second dismasting in Leg 4.n

Best of The Ocean Race: Itajaí & Leg 4, Dramatic Atlantic

The Ocean Race Rewind: Itajai & Leg 4

Sailor's kiss: In the middle of the crowd during the Sailors Parade in Cape Town, Rosalin kisses her boyfriend before embarking on a 35-day challenge in the Southern Ocean.

Time for goodbye hugs: The start of Leg 3 was a particularly emotional one, as the team set sail for a long journey in the most remote areas of the world, on a boat they had spent months building and perfecting to perform well in the tough conditions of the Southern Ocean.

And go! Malizia - Seaexplorer was off to a flying start in Cape Town, leading almost all of the inshore section of Leg 3.

After an emotional departure in sunny Cape Town, the crew raced onboard their Malizia - Seaexplorer yacht for the longest leg in The Ocean Race’s 50-year history with 12,750 nautical miles to sail through the Southern Ocean towards Itajaí, Brazil.

Day 2 of a leg expected to last for between 35 to 40 days, and the crew is already struggling with the loss of a headsail. As they were sailing in big waves, the C0 sail dropped in the water. The crew quickly assessed that it had become unhooked and this was the reason for it falling.

The albatross, king of the Southern Ocean. And after seeing it for the first time, a sailor's favourite animal.

The bad news came in: On day 3 of Leg 2 at approximately 12:00 pm UTC, the sailing crew noticed a crack to the top part of the mast. They were safe and immediately notified the shore team of the issue as Rosalin climbed up the mast to take photos of the damage in order to assess the situation. The crack was 30 cm long and had ripped a vertical line in the top of the mast just above the first reef and where the fractional head sail would sit.

After a moment of despair and contemplating whether they had to return to Cape Town, the crew managed to lift their spirits and start a mammoth task: Completing a gruelling mast repair at sea expertly elaborated by the technical team. Team Malizia really showed their true spirit in giving it their all... with a smile.

Will volunteered to go up the mast and start preparing the area. Little wind helped the progress, however, there was a messy sea state and swell impacting the boat, with over three metre waves making the repair a challenge. Will had to sand away the damaged area with a Bosch power tool in order to create a flat surface that the carbon laminate sheets will be applied to. The process took hours, with him being thrown backwards and forwards against the mast. Once back down, Antoine took this iconic photo of Will covered with carbon dust from head to toe!

The team started to prepare the materials inside the boat, collecting everything they needed from the spares bags inline with the shore team's instructions. Nico was focused on keeping the boat on course and managing the surroundings and Antoine was documenting everything. Boris was the one coordinating all the departments and crucially communicating with land and our tech team (the fountains of knowledge) whilst Rosie was preparing the laminate. Questions had to be agreed in advance, who was going up, who was mixing the resin, who would wet out the fibre, do they have everything they needed.

Over 12 hours, Team Malizia had been working hard on getting all the repairs managed whilst not being able to sail at full force. From 08:45 UTC on day 5, Rosalin spent two and a half hours up the mast in a rough sea state with about 20 knots of wind in order to finish the repair. She sanded away some of the repaired area and then went about fixing the new lock to the halyard, not an easy job dangling at 28 metres. Once the repair was sanded, Rosie then carried out a tap test on the mast which she filmed in order to send a video and photos of the repair to the shore team. The noise that came back sounded very equal and clear, the laminate appeared thick, even and strong, all the team very very positive about the repair.

Team Malizia pulled a tremendous effort and managed to catch up with the other boats. On day 14, as they approached the scoring gate south of Australia, the team moved into 2nd place with the scoring gate forcing the teams to ramp up their speed, driving hard towards the imaginary line which held so many points. In doing so, Team Malizia passed incredibly close to 11th Hour Racing and continued to drag race with them for the whole of day 14.

Finally, Team Malizia crossed the halfway scoring gate in second place at 23:44 UTC on 12th March 2023! The line which formed directly down from Cape Otway contained half of the points for the whole leg. For crossing in second place behind Team Holcim-PRB, the team earned a respectable 4 points. The fight was then on to reach the finishing line in Itajai Brazil!

The tough life of an onboard reporter! Antoine getting shots of Will on deck in the Southern Ocean.

After 21 days of sailing in the most remote area of the world, Team Malizia met their competitors Biotherm. A rare and enjoyable moment of 2 boats, 10 crew members meeting in the middle of nowhere captured by Antoine with his drone.

Navigator Nico working hours and hours on the computer trying to interpret the weather files and elaborate the best strategy which he would discuss with the rest of the crew.

Is this the Southern Ocean? Malizia - Seaexplorer blasting at full speed around Antartica on a very sunny day 26 of Leg 3 of The Ocean Race.

On 26th March, Rosalin suffered a head injury after she fell from her bunk when the boat turned and slammed unexpectedly in heavy sea conditions. She was sleeping when the boat wiped out due to a large wave off the South American coast near to Cape Horn. Rosalin was thrown from her bunk and hit her head just above her right eyebrow. She never lost consciousness and the crew were quick to come to her aid as it was clear she was bleeding badly from her eyebrow. It was later confirmed that she had a concussion and needed to rest, whilst the team monitored her and sailed as fast as possible to Itajaí.

First to round Cape Horn! Team Malizia managed to overtake Team Holcim-PRB, and having closed a 500+ nautical mile gap to the leaders, they passed the infamous Cape Horn in the lead, earning them the Roaring Forties Trophy (fastest from Cape of Good Hope to Cape Horn). Crossing the waypoint also marked the end of the Southern Ocean and a return to the Atlantic.

On the crossing Team Malizia celebrated their first place after 29 days 4 hours and 8 minutes, earning them the Roaring Forties Trophy (fastest from Cape of Good Hope to Cape Horn which they completed in 27 days 17 hours and 31 minutes). This didn’t give the team any points, but it had a lot of meaning within itself. The team had sailed 10,000nm to reach this point, which also marked the end of the Southern Ocean and a return to the Atlantic, with Itajai still nearly 2000nm away. For Will, Rosalin, Nico and Antoine, this was their first time crossing the infamous landmark, and a 6th time for Boris.

Day 31, Team Malizia was still in the lead but only by 10 nm with Team Holcim-PRB hot on their heels. Since Rosalin suffered a concussion four days before and was still recovering, the team were down a vital member of the crew and had to change their shift patterns. Boris and Will were alternating solo watches every four hours to leave Nico free to spend hours on the computer, running the weather routing options and expertly navigating them to the finish.

When the South Atlantic looks worse than the Southern Ocean... The fleet encountered incredibly variable winds, switching from zero knots up to 51 knots within a matter of minutes. This is coupled with an incredibly confused sea state made sailing very tricky. The team had to stay incredibly focused on the autopilot in order to maintain course and safety during these extreme conditions. Many people think of Cape Horn as the most challenging part of the world to sail in, however, coming around the corner in these conditions may have been the trickiest part of the race so far.

The dog fight with Team Holcim-PRB in the South Atlantic, a long and intense battle towards Itajaí, Brazil. Once again, and after 32 days at sea, two boats of the fleet sailed next to each other.

A dream has come true! Team Malizia won Leg 3 of The Ocean Race, the longest leg in the race’s history after an intense battle with Team Holcim-PRB in a nail biting end of the leg. The team crossed the finish line on 2 April 2023 at 05:20:28 UTC, after 34 days, 17 hours, 10 min, 28 seconds at sea through the Southern Ocean. Facing big challenges early on during the leg, the team managed to overcome these, catch up with the front of the fleet, take over the lead, and win the mammoth leg.

« Winning this leg is an unreal moment, it’s taking time to realise what we have achieved, that the dream is coming true », said Boris as he arrived in Itajaí. « Dreaming of doing The Ocean Race, doing this amazing leg through the Southern Ocean, finishing it after all the trouble we had early on, and winning it!! Four weeks ago, if I had been told ‘Repair your mast because you might win this leg’ I would have not believed it and said that’s not possible, we are too far behind and can’t push the boat anymore. But it worked out beyond our expectations. This was a full team win, and I’m very proud of what we achieved.”

The team celebrated their first leg win, winning the Southern Ocean leg, the longest and most difficult one of all, as well as winning the Roaring Forties Trophy on stage in Itajaí, Brazil, on 2nd April 2023.

Malizia - Seaexplorer flying in the Southern Ocean.

Best of The Ocean Race: Leg 3, the Southern Ocean

The Ocean Race Rewind: Leg 3

Let's go at it again! After a few stressful days in Cabo Verde, mostly due to Boris' foot injury, the crew is now back on the water racing in Leg 2 with Yann Eliès (right) jumping in. Nico Lunven is one the lookout as the crew sails around the Cape Verdean islands shortly after the start.

Not for the heart-fainted! Far from being afraid of heights, Rosalin checks the rig in 29 meters height at the beginning of Leg 2, always with a smile on her face.

The Cape Verdean islands are only one of the many beautiful landscapes Team Malizia will get to enjoy in the coming months as they race around the world.

Day 5 on Leg 2 of The Ocean Race, and onboard reporter Antoine captures the vastness and beauty of the Ocean by flying over Malizia with a drone.

31st January 2023: It's Yann's birthday! The team had prepared a few surprises and Yann was very happy to receive gifts from his family, here a drawing from his children.

That day the team also crossed the Equator. A first time for Antoine and Rosalin who therefore got a visit from King Neptune, and had to go through a first-Equator-crossing ritual! They did well and after the ritual everyone got to toast to Neptune and the Ocean!

Navigator Nico spending many hours in front of the computer, analysing the weather files and coming up with the best possible strategy, day and night.

Big shoes to fill: Skipper Will Harris took over the leader role for the first time in this race. Always calm, collected, and driven by performance, the young Britton is loved, respected, and supported by the entire crew.

Day 10 into Leg 2, and there's always something to check or to fix onboard.

As important as sailing is our mission to contribute to science, which is why we measured valuable ocean data with the Ocean Pack during the whole race. On Day 10, we deployed an Argo Float, which will measure CO2 and other data for 4-5 years in the South Atlantic and send is via satellite to scientists. It trajectory can be followed online and the float carries the signatures of children from a school in Alicante, marine geosciences students from 11 West African countries, GEOMAR scientists, and Team Malizia members.

Skipper Will on the tiller in the cockpit of Malizia - Seaexplorer. It's day 13 of Leg 2 and there are still many miles to go...

Since the start of the race, the crew has been struggling with an issue: The unbearable noise boat makes at high speeds. The appendices of the boat, especially the keel make such a loud noise that, awake or asleep, the crew has to wear noise-cancelling headphones. And even those are not enough at times...

Yann on deck checking the sails as the crew is speeding South.

Day 15 and more things to fix. The crew is now also sailing in higher latitudes and wearing warmer clothing. The Southern Ocean is calling...

18 days into Leg 2, Nico's beard has grown (a lot) but his mind is still as sharp as day 1. The unusually disturbed South Atlantic weather meant the quickest route to Cape Town would take the crew all the way south to the ice gate. Another perfectly timed gybe then put them into an excellent position in the lead directly between their competitors and the finish. As they make their way to Cape Town, will they be able to stay in front?

The crew reached the South African coast in the lead and it looked as if the race was theirs. Unfortunately a ridge of light winds blocked their way to Cape Town about 500 nautical miles from the finish. The team placed themselves slightly further south of the fleet hoping to take advantage of the increased pressure. This strategy was working perfectly until the very last miles of the race where the wind disappeared on them, not paying off in the end.

In the end, Team Malizia arrived in 4th place in Cape Town. Nevertheless, the crew and shore team were really proud of the achievement, of having shown that the boat is fast and our strategic decisions proved themselves. And it's still a long way until the Grand Finale in Genova!

After the arrival in Cape Town, on 12 February 2023, the technical team's long job list started: In only 14 days of refit, the team would have to make the boat ready for the big Southern Ocean leg and fix the noise issue which made life onboard so difficult.

As the tech team worked on the boat, the education team and sailors hosted a public My Ocean Challenge kids event, at the Amphitheater located at the heart of the V&A Waterfront. Over 100 children attended the event!

And we also organised another Malizia Sustainability Panel Debate.

The IMOCA fleet back in the water after two weeks of refit, during which the team checked, repaired, and prepared the boat for the challenging conditions of the Southern Ocean, and also successfully worked on the appendages of the boat to reduce the noise.

And we are racing in Cape Town! With a stunning Table Mountain view, the boats competed against each other in the second In-Port Race, the last event before the Southern Ocean leg...

Back onboard for the big challenge. With his foot perfectly healed, Boris rejoined the crew in Cape Town, sailing in the In-Port race during which the team finished in third place. But his eyes stayed on the much anticipated next challenge: The Southern Ocean. Only two more days and they'll be off for the longest leg in The Ocean Race's 50-year history...

Sailing action in the South Atlantic! Rosalin is working on deck and fighting the elements. Sailing is no easy business!

Best of The Ocean Race: Leg 2 & Cape Town, Racing South

The Ocean Race Rewind: Leg 2 & Cape Town

Mussel aquaculture

The Malizia - Seaexplorer sailing through the effects of eutrophication: the Sargasso Sea

Worthy of restoration: Oyster reefs

mussel harvest 

Sailing across the ocean, we often forget the beauty beneath.

On the Malizia – Seaexplorer we often don’t see anything below the Ocean’s surface whilst we fly across it. But under the sea is where the real magic happens. Every organism, whatever physical size, plays an equally big role in the ecosystem and contributes to the health of the Ocean. 

Bivalve reef creating a biodiverse wonderland

Bivalves Showing Mussel

Bivalves showing mussel

And they are off! The five IMOCA race yachts left Alicante on 15 January for Leg 1 of The Ocean Race, sailing towards Mindelo, Cabo Verde. Soon, they will encounter tricky upwind conditions in the Mediterranean.

A very experienced co-skipper Nico Lunven steering the boat by hand shortly after the start, with Team Holcim-PRB and the Spanish coast in the background.

Skipper Boris Herrmann and co-skipper Rosalin Kuiper on watch in the cockpit of Malizia - Seaexplorer and very focussed on the start day.

Day 2 of Leg 1 and something new has already come up: It's the first time Boris Herrmann had to use the infamous storm jib, as the weather conditions in the Mediterranean have rapidly worsened.

Day 3 isn't easier: Rosalin and Boris are fixing the lynch motor, whilst Will is driving the boat.

The crew made it out of Gibraltar, into the Atlantic Ocean and is speeding South to Cabo Verde. The perfect opportunity on the fourth day of Leg 1 for onboard reporter Antoine Auriol to fly the drone and capture the first of many spectacular shots of Malizia - Seaexplorer racing.

Podium finish in Mindelo! The crew arrived in Cabo Verde at 07:35:21 UTC on 21 January in third place, behind Leg 1 winner Team Holcim-PRB and 11th Hour Racing Team, and racing for 5 days, 16 hours, 35 minutes, and 21 seconds.

Our cheerful sailors managed to close the gap to the previous boat in fast downwind sailing angles in the Atlantic, after facing intense and challenging weather conditions exiting the Mediterranean. Accomplishing a podium finish in the opening chapter of the crewed round-the-world race is a very satisfying reward for our team that invested a tremendous effort in our pre-race preparations, having only replaced our damaged foils a week before the start.

Burnt foot aside, the Mindelo stopover was a great opportunity to host a My Ocean Challenge kids event with children from an underprivileged area. Here our Communications Manager Helene Katz is talking to the children about the importance of the Ocean in climate change, whilst the teacher translated from English to Portuguese.

Meanwhile, at the Ocean Summit, Boris Herrmann handed over The Ocean Race’s Relay4Nature Baton in Leg 1 to Ulisses Correia e Silva, Prime Minister of Cabo Verde, Richard Brisius, Chairman of The Ocean Race, and Antonio Guterres. The Baton, which we sailed from Alicante to Mindelo, symbolically links environmental conferences around the world as it passes through the hands of leaders, innovators and ocean advocates, giving the ocean a voice on the critical issues the planet is facing.

Boris Herrmann got to meet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and proudly show him our boat which carries the UN's Sustainable Development Goals wheel on its sails.

The Cape Verdean stop was considered as a "pit-stop" and the tech team weren't allowed to go or work on the boat. So the check and eventual repairs had to be carried out by the tired sailors. Here Nico Lunven coming down the mast after checking the rig.

Taking over for Boris: Yann Eliès (left) jumping in as new crew member and Will Harris (right) taking over the skipper role.

On 25 January 2023, the IMOCA fleet departed from Mindelo in Leg 2 of The Ocean Race for a 4,000 nautical mile race towards Cape Town, South Africa.

Fighting with 11th Hour Racing Team during the inshore section at the start of Leg 2 in Mindelo, Cabo Verde.

First sunset of Leg 2, Malizia - Seaexplorer sailing around the Cape Verdean islands.

Drone shot of Malizia - Seaexplorer during Leg 1 of The Ocean Race

Best of The Ocean Race: Leg 1 & Cabo Verde, Rough Kick-Off 

The Ocean Race Rewind: Leg 1 and Cabo Verde

Malizia - Seaexplorer's from the sky: The refit in Alicante is short and intense to get the boat ready for the start of The Ocean Race

"The foils are broken": The awful news just came in, our foils are damaged and can't be used for The Ocean Race. We are very close to loosing everything only a couple of weeks before the start. Our Head of Composite Clément Caumont and Rebecca Sainson from the Design Office were amongst the many team members actively involved in trying to find a solution.

But we were very lucky and had the opportunity to fall back on another pair of new foils - normally it takes half a year to manufacture them. The team pulled off an incredible amount of work, even having to work over Christmas.

Moment of truth: The new foils being fitted only days before the start of the race.

Best Of Ocean Race: Alicante, Build Up To The Start

The Ocean Race Rewind: Alicante