Team Malizia

Boris Herrmann

Skipper

Germany

Date of birth: 28 May 1981
Place of birth: Oldenburg, Germany

German offshore sailor Boris Herrmann has raced around the world six times: doublehanded, fully-crewed, and solo. His circumnavigations include the Class40 Portimao Global Ocean Race in 2009, the Barcelona World Race in 2010, an attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy in 2015-2016, the Vendée Globe in 2020-2021 and again in 2024-2025, and The Ocean Race 2022-2023. 

In 2020, Boris Herrmann became the first German to ever compete in the Vendée Globe, finishing in 5th place. After launching their Malizia - Seaexplorer IMOCA race yacht in 2022, he and his Team Malizia finished 3rd in The Ocean Race, winning two legs of the iconic race. He returned to the Vendée Globe in 2024–25, finishing 12th. In 2025, Boris Herrmann and his team will take part in The Ocean Race Europe for the first time, an exciting milestone that begins on home waters, as the race kicks off in Kiel, Germany. 

Since 2018, Boris Herrmann and his team have led the A Race We Must Win – Climate Action Now! campaign, combining sailing, science, and education. Onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer, Boris Herrmann carries a laboratory that collects Ocean CO₂, temperature, and salinity data in collaboration with leading research institutions including the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, GEOMAR, the Alfred Wegener Institute, and Ifremer. This data is vital to understanding the Ocean’s role in climate change, especially as they race through remote areas rarely reached by research vessels. 

During the Vendée Globe 2020–21, Boris Herrmann collected the first full round-the-world Ocean CO₂ dataset. He added two more during The Ocean Race 2022–23 and the Vendée Globe 2024–25. These measurements have contributed to major scientific reports, including the IPCC report and the Global Carbon Budget 2024, which cited Malizia - Seaexplorer a top Ocean data contributor. 

The team also educates children on Ocean and climate topics through their My Ocean Challenge, a programme launched in 2018 and now translated into 11 languages, reaching over 80,000 children worldwide.

Sailing highlights

  • 12th Vendée Globe 2024-25
  • 2nd New York - Vendée 2024 
  • 2nd The Transat CIC 2024 
  • 7th Transat Jacques Vabre 2023 avec Will Harris 
  • 3rd The Ocean Race 2023, Winner of Leg 3 and Leg 7 
  • 5th Vendée Globe 2020-21 
  • 4th Transat Jacques Vabre 2017 avec Thomas Ruyant 
  • 5th Barcelona World Race 2010 with Ryan Breymaier
  • Winner Portimao Global Ocean Race 2009 (Class 40')

  • Date of birth: 28 May 1981
    Place of birth: Oldenburg, Germany

    German offshore sailor Boris Herrmann has raced around the world six times: doublehanded, fully-crewed, and solo. His circumnavigations include the Class40 Portimao Global Ocean Race in 2009, the Barcelona World Race in 2010, an attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy in 2015-2016, the Vendée Globe in 2020-2021 and again in 2024-2025, and The Ocean Race 2022-2023. 

    In 2020, Boris Herrmann became the first German to ever compete in the Vendée Globe, finishing in 5th place. After launching their Malizia - Seaexplorer IMOCA race yacht in 2022, he and his Team Malizia finished 3rd in The Ocean Race, winning two legs of the iconic race. He returned to the Vendée Globe in 2024–25, finishing 12th. In 2025, Boris Herrmann and his team will take part in The Ocean Race Europe for the first time, an exciting milestone that begins on home waters, as the race kicks off in Kiel, Germany. 

    Since 2018, Boris Herrmann and his team have led the A Race We Must Win – Climate Action Now! campaign, combining sailing, science, and education. Onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer, Boris Herrmann carries a laboratory that collects Ocean CO₂, temperature, and salinity data in collaboration with leading research institutions including the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, GEOMAR, the Alfred Wegener Institute, and Ifremer. This data is vital to understanding the Ocean’s role in climate change, especially as they race through remote areas rarely reached by research vessels. 

    During the Vendée Globe 2020–21, Boris Herrmann collected the first full round-the-world Ocean CO₂ dataset. He added two more during The Ocean Race 2022–23 and the Vendée Globe 2024–25. These measurements have contributed to major scientific reports, including the IPCC report and the Global Carbon Budget 2024, which cited Malizia - Seaexplorer a top Ocean data contributor. 

    The team also educates children on Ocean and climate topics through their My Ocean Challenge, a programme launched in 2018 and now translated into 11 languages, reaching over 80,000 children worldwide.

    Sailing highlights

    • 12th Vendée Globe 2024-25
    • 2nd New York - Vendée 2024 
    • 2nd The Transat CIC 2024 
    • 7th Transat Jacques Vabre 2023 avec Will Harris 
    • 3rd The Ocean Race 2023, Winner of Leg 3 and Leg 7 
    • 5th Vendée Globe 2020-21 
    • 4th Transat Jacques Vabre 2017 avec Thomas Ruyant 
    • 5th Barcelona World Race 2010 with Ryan Breymaier
    • Winner Portimao Global Ocean Race 2009 (Class 40')