Day 3 of Leg 4 finds Team Malizia locked in a fierce mid-fleet battle, holding 5th position as the fleet pushes north. After a brutal passage through the Strait of Bonifacio – from blasting along in 40 knots to suddenly drifting in no wind – the leading pack managed to escape while Malizia and the chasing boats fought to break free along the Sardinian coast.

Final Push in The Golf Of Genova - Day 3 of Leg 4 on The Ocean Race Europe

Final Push in The Golf of Genova - Day 3 of Leg 4 on The Ocean Race Europe

After a tricky first night at sea, Team Malizia is feeling the sting of a risky strategy that didn’t pay off. Cole Brauer summed it up candidly: the team gambled on a shorter route to slip south of a low-pressure system, but when the breeze filled in from the west, their rivals took off while Malizia sat stalled in light airs.

Our Strategy Didn't Pay Off - Day 2 - Leg 4 of The Ocean Race Europe 

 Disappointing Day At Sea - Day 2 - Leg 4 of The Ocean Race Europe 

Sebastian Steudtner jumping off Malizia - Seaexplorer in style

The IMOCA fleet at the start of Leg 4 in Nice, France

Loïs Berrehar, Boris Herrmann, and Francesca Clapcich during the final weather briefing earlier today in Nice, France

Boris Herrmann onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer

Team Malizia heading toward Monaco

Team Malizia, led by skipper Boris Herrmann, is back racing on the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean for Leg 4 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025, sailing from Nice, France, toward Genova, Italy. This 550-nautical mile leg features a short but tactical loop around Corsica, where the fleet will face a mix of challenging conditions, including the notorious Strait of Bonifacio. The teams are expected to reach Genova after three days of racing.

From Nice to Genova: Team Malizia Takes on Leg 4 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Leg 4 Start line in Nice, France

Team Malizia's sailors for Leg 4 from Nice to Genova

Malizia - Seaexplorer arriving in Nice on 29 August 2025

On Tuesday 26 August, the fleet lines up once again in Cartagena, Spain, for the 650-nautical-mile sprint to Nice, France. With a zig-zag route through the Mediterranean and key strategic decisions to make as they approach the Balearic Islands, Team Malizia is ready to fight for crucial points and give it their all.

Parade of the Imoca followed by Pointus (Regional fishing boat) before the Leg 4 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 in Nice, France on August 30, 2025

How To Follow The Leg 4 Start Of The Ocean Race Europe In Nice

Malizia - Seaexplorer at the Leg 3 arrival in Nice, France

Malizia - Seaexplorer docking-in in Nice, France

Cole Brauer, Francesca Clapcich, Loïs Berrehar, and Boris Herrmann

Boris Herrmann

Team Malizia in Nice

Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia completed Leg 3 of The Ocean Race Europe on Friday morning, finishing in fifth place after a 650-nautical-mile sprint from Cartagena, Spain, to Nice, France. The team faced shifting winds, sweltering heat, and intense tactical duels with their rivals, arriving two and a half hours behind leg winner Biotherm. They are now focusing on recovering during a short stopover before the Leg 4 start to Genova.

Team Malizia at the Leg 3 arrival in Nice this Friday morning

Team Malizia Finishes Fifth in Leg 3 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Leg 3 is heating up in every sense. While Biotherm and Team Holcim-PRB have edged slightly ahead, Team Malizia remains locked in a fierce three-boat battle with Allagrande Mapei Racing and Paprec Arkéa. After rounding Ibiza and Mallorca, the IMOCA fleet is now pushing towards “Waypoint Charlie” off Porquerolles, where unstable upwind conditions could shake up the rankings once more. With less than 24 hours to the finish in Nice, the game is still wide open.

Still A Lot To Play!  - Day 3 - Leg 3 of The Ocean Race Europe

"Die Welt unter meinem Boot", Boris Herrmann & Walter Wüllenweber

Boris Herrmann präsentierte sein neues Buch bei der Malizia Pressekonferenz zum Start des Ocean Race Europe 2025 in Kiel

Boris Herrmann veröffentlicht sein drittes Buch bei C.Bertelsmann

A life dedicated to sailing and protecting the Ocean: On 22 October 2025, top sailor Boris Herrmann will release his new book The World Beneath My Boat, written together with co-author Walter Wüllenweber. The two take readers on a fascinating journey beneath the surface of the sea.

Team Malizias Boris Herrmann veröffentlich mit Co-Autor Walter Wüllenweber "Die Welt unter meinem Boot"

Boris Herrmann Takes a Closer Look in His New Book at “The World Under My Boat”

Team Malizia and the rest of the fleet are off to Nice, France, in Leg 3 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

After a spectacular and sweltering start from Cartagena, the IMOCA fleet wasted no time trading blows as Leg 3 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 got underway. With temperatures soaring above 30°C, sticky humidity, and relentless manoeuvring, the first 24 hours have tested both boat and crew. Team Malizia is thriving in the close fight, with navigator Loïs Berrehar guiding the crew through thunderstorms and shifty clouds to stay on the right side of each shift. Now, all eyes turn to the next big challenge: a low-pressure system tracking north from Algeria towards the Balearics, a weather twist that could reshape the entire leg and decide who reaches Nice ahead.

Hot Weather: Sweating Over Strategy - Day 2 - Leg 3 of The Ocean Race Europe

Team Malizia's final weather briefing this morning before the Leg 3

Boris Herrmann taking a team selfie moments before docking-off in Cartagena, Spain

Leg 3 co-skippers Loïs Berrehar and Francesca Clapcich in Cartagena

Boris Herrmann is back as Malizia - Seaexplorer skipper for the rest of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Team Malizia at the start of Leg 3 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

After completing the longest leg of The Ocean Race Europe 2025, the fleet of seven IMOCA boats has set off on Leg 3, a fast and tactical sprint through the heart of the Mediterranean towards Nice, France. With a varied condition course ahead, Team Malizia led by skipper Boris Herrmann, and a fresh crew of Loïs Berrehar, Cole Brauer, Francesca Clapcich, and onboard reporter Flore Hartout, is aiming to make the most of every mile on their way to the only French stopover of the race.

 Leg 3’s Sprint In The Mediterranean: Team Malizia Off To Nice In The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Leg 3 Start Line in Cartagena

The Ocean Live Park in Cartagena, Spain

Guest sailing in Cartagena during the Spanish stopover of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

The finish line of Leg 3 in Nice, France

How To Follow The Leg 3 Start Of The Ocean Race Europe In Cartagena

The Mediterranean, as tricky as it gets

Team Malizia encountered lots of marine wildlife during Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Malizia - Seaexplorer during Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Skipper Will Harris and co-skipper Francesca Clapcich during Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Team Malizia's Francesca Clapcich, Will Harris and Justine Mettraux at the Leg 2 arrival in Cartagena, Spain

Malizia - Seaexplorer off the coast of Cartagena in Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Allagrande MAPEI Racing's Thomas Ruyant congratulating Team Malizia's Loïs Berrerar after a neck and neck battle in Leg 2

Led by skipper Will Harris, the crew onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer fought tooth and nail from Portsmouth, UK, to Cartagena, Spain. After an intense 1,400 nautical mile race through the English Channel, the Bay of Biscay, a Fly-By in Portugal and the final push in the Mediterranean, Team Malizia secured valuable points with 5th place finish to see them 3rd on the overall ranking. With three more stages to go and Leg 3 starting in three days’ time, everything is still to play for.

Team Malizia flying to the Leg 2 finish in Cartagena in The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Team Malizia Battles Through Longest Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe, Secures Points and Eyes Comeback

Mediterranean shake-up: the race is wide open. All to play for on the final miles to Cartagena. The Strait of Gibraltar gave us one of those unforgettable moments at sea, spinnaker up, Africa on one side and Europe on the other. But as quickly as the breeze carried us in, it disappeared in the Alboran Sea. Leads vanished, gaps closed, and suddenly the race was reset once again. For Team Malizia, the night was far from easy. Tangled in a fishing net and drifting in a windless patch, the crew had to fight tooth and nail just to keep the boat moving. Tired but determined, they refused to give in and by morning, Allagrande Mapei Racing and Malizia were back on the hunt, closing the gap on the leaders.

Fishing Nets And No Wind Areas - Day 6 - Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe

As we near the end of Leg 2, the longest of this edition of The Ocean Race Europe, fatigue is beginning to show, and the frustration of the night before the Porto fly-by still lingers in the minds of Malizia’s sailors. As Will put it, “a small mistake can cost you so much” and it has. The crew now finds themselves struggling to close the gap to the podium, with the wind playing hide and seek and shifts favouring the boats ahead. Each missed puff makes it harder to reel in the competition.  Let’s have a look at the past 24 hours while our boat is approaching Gibraltar…

Tiredness Is Setting - Day 5 - Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe

Team Malizia's Leg 2 crew in Matosinhos/Porto, from left to right: Flore Hartout (onboard reporter), Justine Mettraux, Francesca Clapcich, Will Harris, and Loïs Berrehar

Team Malizia and Biotherm at the Matosinhos/Porto Fly-By

Skipper Will Harris before deploying the prototype drifter buoy in the Bay of Biscay on 19 August 2025

Onboard reporter Flore Hartout capturing photos yesterday of Team Malizia's frequent companions, the dolphins

Malizia - Seaexplorer and co-skipper Loïs Berrehar in front of Matosinhos/Porto this 20 August 2025

After a three-hour stop, Team Malizia is back racing in Leg 2 towards Cartagena

After an intense race that stretched from the tricky waters of the Solent to the Bay of Biscay and a push down the Portuguese coast, Team Malizia crossed the line of the Leg 2 Matoshinhos/Porto Fly-By in fourth place. Following a short three-hour stopover, the crew has already set off again on the second stage of the leg, racing towards Cartagena, Spain, where The Ocean Race Europe 2025 battle continues.

Team Malizia flying in front of Matosinhos/Porto in Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Team Malizia Flies By Matosinhos/Porto And Pushes Towards Spain In The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Team Malizia Flies By Matosinhos/Porto And Pushes Towards Spain - Day 4 - Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Three days into Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe, the Bay of Biscay has delivered on its promise: tension, exhaustion, and a fleet locked in a dead heat. Less than five miles separate the top five boats as they approach Cape Finisterre, with Team Malizia holding their ground in the thick of the fight.  Since yesterday’s reset off Ushant, when the leaders were swallowed by light winds and tide, compressing the entire fleet into a handful of miles, the race has become a pure test of speed and stamina. Flat seas and a light to medium breeze have offered no escape routes, just relentless hours of trimming, hand steering, and racing within sight of their rivals.  At the sharp end, Holcim-PRB and Biotherm have traded the lead repeatedly, while Malizia, Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive, and Paprec Arkéa remain poised to strike.  Let’s take a closer look at what has unfolded over the last 24 hours since yesterday’s start… 

Ain’t No Time To Loose - Day 3 - Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe

Will Harris our skipper for Leg 2

Fleet compresses at Ushant after a sleepless night, as the drag race to Portugal begins.  The first 24 hours of the second leg of The Ocean Race Europe delivered a rollercoaster night for the IMOCA fleet. After blasting out of Portsmouth in strong downwind conditions, the seven teams were brought to a standstill off Ushant, trapped in a transition zone where the breeze collapsed and the race reset itself.

Dreamy Foiling Conditions - Day 2 - Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe

Skipper Will Harris and co-skippers Francesca Clapcich and Loïs Berrehar during the Sailors Parade

Skipper Will Harris, moments before docking-off in Portsmouth

The start guns going off on the Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes

Malizia - Seaexplorer setting sail in Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Onboard reporter Flore Hartout capturing co-skipper Loïs Berrehar at the helm of Malizia - Seaexplorer

At 17:00 local time in Portsmouth, UK, Team Malizia led by skipper Will Harris, set off on Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe. The fleet of IMOCAs will cover 1,400 nautical miles to Cartagena, Spain, on the longest stage of the race. With double points at stake and conditions ranging from strong Solent currents to light Bay of Biscay winds and unpredictable Mediterranean weather, every mile will count.

Malizia - Seaexplorer has set sail in Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

 Team Malizia, Skippered by Will Harris, Sets Off on The Ocean Race Europe 2025’s Longest Leg 2

Francesca Clapcich, who will be onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer in the upcoming Leg 2, congratulating Justine Mettraux

With 14 points up for grabs in Leg 2, there is a lot to play for Team Malizia's crew skippered by Will Harris

Loïs Berrehar will race onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer in Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

The finish line of Leg 2 in Cartagena

On Sunday 15 August, the fleet is lining up again in Portsmouth for the 1,400-nautical-mile sprint to Cartagena, Spain, with a Fly-By in Matosinhos/Porto, Portugal. With double points on offer and bonus points at The Needles scoring gate, the fight for a potential 16 points in the longest leg of the race promises high stakes from the very start.

Will Harris onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer

How To Follow The Leg 2 Start Of The Ocean Race Europe In Portsmouth

Cole Brauer explaining how foils work on the boat.

For the first stop of The Ocean Race Europe, the Andrew Simpson Sailing Center in Portsmouth opened its doors to Team Malizia’s My Ocean Challenge and 60 local children. The young participants learned about the race, Team Malizia’s science mission and nature’s secret weapons against climate change, as well as got out on the water for fun watersports activities!

A Day In, On and About the Ocean - My Ocean Challenge Event in Portsmouth

Malizia - Seaexplorer earlier today as she arrived in Portsmouth

The Team Malizia crew celebrating their second-place finish in Leg 1 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Co-skippers Cole Brauer, Justine Mettraux, and Will Harris fighting until the very end of Leg 1

Malizia - Seaexplorer finished Leg 1 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 in second place

The Malizia crew from left to right: Flore Hartout (OBR), Justine Mettraux, Will Harris, Boris Herrmann and Cole Brauer

Team Malizia celebrating in Portsmouth

This Thursday, Team Malizia claimed a podium finish in the opening leg of The Ocean Race Europe 2025, completing a tight battle from Kiel, Germany, to Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Skippered by Boris Herrmann, the crew onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer fought relentlessly to the very end, grabbing second place in the final moments of the leg, earning six points, and kicking off their European campaign with a strong start.

Team Malizia grabbed a second-place finish in the last moments of Leg 1 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Team Malizia Takes Second Place in Leg 1 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025

This morning, anyone checking the race tracker might have been surprised to see the positions completely upside down. Due to a lack of wind combined with strong currents, the racing IMOCA teams were tacking, turning, and doing everything possible to inch their way toward Portsmouth. These challenging conditions are not just physically demanding, they’re mentally exhausting for the crews as well.  Let’s take a closer look at what has unfolded over the last 24 hours since yesterday’s update…

They Haven’t Given Up - Day 3 - Leg 1 of The Ocean Race Europe

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Loïs Berrehar

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