Boris Herrmann's Malizia-Seaexplorer yacht handed over to Team Francesca Clapcich
by Team Malizia 22 Mar 2025 14:55 PDT
Francesca Clapcich onboard 11th Hour Racing in The Ocean Race 2023 © Amory Ross / 11th Hour Racing
Boris Herrmann's Malizia - Seaexplorer race yacht will be handed over to Team Francesca Clapcich Powered By 11th Hour Racing. Francesca's team will take over the race yacht after The Ocean Race Europe 2025 and will embark on a four-year journey to qualify for the Vendée Globe, where the Italian-American aims to become the first sailor to compete in all four of the major sailing events: the Olympics, the America's Cup, The Ocean Race, and the Vendée Globe.
Boris Herrmann commented on the transition, 'I am incredibly proud of this boat and what we have achieved together, it will be sad to say goodbye after all the time, energy and work we put into her. On the other hand I am excited to be handing her on to a sailor like Frankie, someone with so much drive, passion and ambition and with a strong sponsor like 11th Hour Racing behind her. I can not wait to see what she will achieve in the Vendée Globe 2028 with Malizia - Seaexplorer. On top of that we will be working together on the technical side to ensure Frankie has the best possible boat for her races! We have similar goals uniting us on sustainability and the Ocean and working together across these topics is going to be the next adventure.'
Designed by VPLP and launched in 2022, the Malizia - Seaexplorer features a rounded spoon bow for skimming the Southern Ocean's waves and a closed cockpit with standing height. Initially met with skepticism, the design quickly proved its capabilities, particularly during The Ocean Race 2022-23. There, a strong strategy and a fast boat allowed Team Malizia to recover a 500nm deficit in the long Southern Ocean leg and ultimately win that leg of the race. Over the past two years, Team Malizia and the Malizia - Seaexplorer have earned respect as top competitors in the world's toughest offshore races.
Beyond racing, the Malizia - Seaexplorer has also served as a platform for climate action and ocean protection. It will now continue this dual mission under Clapcich's "Believe, Belong, Achieve" campaign designed to bring equity and climate justice to the sport of sailing and beyond. "Belief and belonging are critical to success. If my parents, coaches, and teachers hadn't believed in me, I wouldn't be here today announcing my Vendée Globe campaign. I want to ensure others have those same opportunities," said Clapcich.
Clapcich, who won The Ocean Race 2022-23 with 11th Hour Racing Team becoming the first Italian in the 50-year history of the race to lift the coveted trophy, has for the past year been skipper of UpWind by MerConcept, the first all-female team in the Ocean Fifty Series. Along with her Title Sponsor, 11th Hour Racing, she is committed to increasing inclusion in sailing. "Belief and belonging drive better performance, both individually and in teams. Alongside my sporting campaign, I'm collaborating with academics, experts, and creatives to promote solutions that will help people achieve their lifelong ambitions," she added. The campaign's efforts include education, advocacy, and collective action, and last week the team announced a research partnership with the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University in the UK.
Though changing hands, the Malizia - Seaexplorer will maintain ties to Team Malizia, which remains involved as Clapcich's Technical Partner to help run the shore side of the racing program. "We chose Team Malizia because they know the boat inside and out and can best prepare me for solo IMOCA offshore sailing. Their commitment to ocean health and sustainability also aligns with our mission," Clapcich explained.
Fans of the Malizia - Seaexplorer can therefore continue following its journey, albeit with a new skipper at the helm and under a new name, with a full IMOCA race season ahead. The boat will be handed over after The Ocean Race Europe and the four year race for the Vendée Globe qualification will start with the Transat Café L'Or, departing Le Havre, France, on the 26th of October 2025, bound for Fort-de-France, Martinique.
Team Malizia's A Race We Must Win - Climate Action Now! mission is only possible due to the strong and long-lasting commitment from its seven main partners: Schütz, the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, Kuehne+Nagel, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, and Hapag-Lloyd. These partners band behind Team Malizia to support its campaign, each of them working towards projects in their own field to innovate around climate solutions.