Team Malizia's Boris Herrmann is Off and Racing in the Route du Rhum
by Team Malizia 2 Nov 04:25 AEDT
1 November 2026
Boris Herrmann, Malizia 4, at the start of the the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe © Flore Hartout | Team Malizia
Under sunny skies and light winds, Team Malizia skipper Boris Herrmann took a clean start in the 13th Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe this Sunday. Now facing an unusual North Atlantic weather pattern and a highly competitive IMOCA fleet, the German sailor is embarking on his third participation in the iconic solo transatlantic race, but his first aboard his newly launched IMOCA, Malizia 4. The 3,542-nautical-mile race from Saint-Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre is expected to take the IMOCA fleet around 10 to 12 days.
The race is on! This Sunday, 1 November 2026, at 13:02 CET (12:02 UTC), Team Malizia's skipper Boris Herrmann crossed the starting line of the 13th edition of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, one of the most iconic solo transatlantic races in offshore sailing. Under sunny skies, with 8 knots of breeze and relatively flat seas, the fleet of 115 boats took a clean start from Saint-Malo, France, and are now racing 3,542 nautical miles (6,560 kilometres) across the North Atlantic to Pointe-à-Pitre, on the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.
For Boris Herrmann, this marks his third participation in the legendary race, but a particularly special one: his first solo race aboard his newly launched IMOCA, Malizia 4. He joins a fleet of 22 IMOCA boats, competing alongside sailors from across the professional and amateur sailing worlds in six different boat classes, all setting off from the same starting line. Held every four years since 1978, the Route du Rhum is a major highlight of the offshore sailing calendar and an important qualifying event for the Vendée Globe 2028-2029.
"I feel really good. I'm super confident in the boat and the team", said Boris Herrmann before the start. "They do an amazing job, so I'm very thankful to the team and all the partners who support us on this long way. From the design to the build and now the boat seems to be already quite reliable. I'm really keen to go out and see what we can get out of her."
Given the number of boats, tides and lock constraints of the Saint-Malo harbour, the IMOCA yachts had already left their docks on Saturday morning as part of a departure parade. "It was quite a spectacle, and fantastic to feel the energy of the public cheering us on. What a special feeling!", said the German skipper this early morning. "We took the opportunity to do a little warm-up sail in the afternoon, giving her a spin to grind, go through everything again and feel confident with her. After that, we headed to an outside mooring, where the boat stayed overnight on anchor. In the evening, we had one last team dinner, and that was it!"
He added: "I woke up this morning feeling good and said a final goodbye to some of the team members before the RIB picked me up to head out to the IMOCA. Once there, Will Harris, our tech team and I will begin our start procedure, which is quite long: sailing to the start area, checking the wind, choosing the right sails, pinging the line and going through all the usual steps. Will and I have been doing this together for many years, so we know the process well. And then it's up to me to hopefully nail the start and get into the race!"
And at 13:02 local time today, Boris Herrmann got off to a good start. While conditions offered little opportunity for sustained foiling, Malizia 4 did reach speeds of up to 22 knots at times. Despite the relatively light conditions, the start was a spectacular sight for the thousands of spectators gathered along the coast, particularly at Cap Fréhel, the iconic viewpoint where fans came to watch the huge fleet sail west out of the English Channel and towards the Atlantic.
After approximately one and a half hours of racing, Boris Herrmann rounded the mark at Cap Fréhel in fifth position in the IMOCA fleet. Supporters were able to follow the action live for two hours via Malizia 4's cockpit and external cameras on Team Malizia's YouTube channel, while German broadcaster NDR also streamed the onboard footage and provided live commentary. On screen, the Team Malizia skipper appeared clearly focused, quickly finding his sea legs as he embarked on his first solo offshore race since the Vendée Globe 2024-2025.
With the opening miles behind them, Boris Herrmann and Malizia 4 face an intensely competitive IMOCA fleet, where every position will have to be hard-earned over the race course to Guadeloupe. "I would say that my official target is a top-six finish", he said. "Some of the competitors have spent the last two years preparing solely for the Route du Rhum. And we still need to get to know this new boat first. At the same time, it is obviously a fast boat, but normally it takes a year or two to really make the most of a new build. So we'll see whether we might be capable of springing a bit of a surprise in this Route du Rhum, or whether we will finish where you would expect us to on paper, in the top five or top six."
However, before the offshore sailors can think about their final positions, they will first have to contend with some unusual North Atlantic weather conditions. "Normally, the trade winds are fairly consistent at this time of year, with a low-pressure area around the Equator and a high-pressure system further north", Boris Herrmann explained. "But that high pressure has disappeared because a low-pressure system is developing in the central Atlantic. As a result, there are no real trade winds at the moment. Very far south, there is only a light, predominantly easterly breeze, which would mean gybing all the way in very light conditions if you tried to take that route. There is really no easy way south at the moment, even along the west coast of Africa. And in the Caribbean, the conditions also look unusually light."
He added: "This is not unheard of; we've seen it before. Every few editions, the Route du Rhum throws up conditions that favour a more northerly route, and this is one of those occasions. The strategy is to head towards the lower-pressure systems, sail through the cold fronts and gradually work your way south again, hoping that eventually you will find enough wind to carry you all the way to the finish in Guadeloupe."
The IMOCA fleet is currently expected to reach the finish line in approximately 10 to 12 days. Fans can follow Boris Herrmann and Malizia 4 via the race tracker, which updates every hour, as well as regular content sent from onboard. Team Malizia will also broadcast two hours of live, raw and uncommented footage from the boat's outside camera on its YouTube channel every day, from 09:00 to 10:00 and 21:00 to 22:00 CET, starting tonight.
Team Malizia's A Race We Must Win - Climate Action Now! mission which combines sailing, science, education and partnerships is only possible due to the strong and long-lasting commitment from its six main partners: Schütz, KPMG Germany, the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, 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.