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Boris Herrmann

Will Harris

Francesca Clapcich

Cole Brauer

Flore Hartout

We compete on the highest level in the toughest races, inspire action & create awareness and highlight solutions to the climate crisis.

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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 has completed Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025, finishing in fifth place after a demanding 1,400-nautical-mile race from Portsmouth, UK, via Matosinhos/Porto, Portugal, to Cartagena, Spain. The crew, skippered by 

, crossed the finish line on Saturday, 23 August at 13:44 local time (11:44 UTC), after five days 19 hours, 44 minutes, and 11 challenging seconds at sea.

“It seems like only yesterday we were starting from Portsmouth, and now we’ve finished the longest leg of The Ocean Race Europe”, said skipper 

 moments after jumping on the dock in Cartagena. “There were so many different parts to it. In the first half to Matosinhos/Porto, we really felt like we were in the hunt with the top bunch. Then one small mistake cost us a place in the top three, and after that we were chasing hard to catch up.”

After a short stopover in Portugal where the team arrived in fourth place, collecting 4 points (Leg 2 is the longest leg and counts for double points, with 50% of the Leg 2 points awarded at the Fly-BY), the crew pushed at full speed downwind down the Portuguese coast before facing frustrating calms as they reach the Strait of Gibraltar. Morale was further tested when the team hit a large fishing net right after sunset, forcing Will Harris to dive at night to free the keel and rudders. 

“As we reached Gibraltar, hoping for stronger winds to close the gap, the breeze dropped, and Allegrande MAPEI Racing caught us from behind", said the 

. "Still, we were sailing the boat really well, finding new modes, and having a great time together on board. Then came another challenge, getting stuck in a fishing net right after Gibraltar and that made it tough to fight for more than fifth place and scoring 3 additional points. But the last 36 hours were amazing: racing through the Med in everything from 35 knots at Gibraltar to just one or two knots near the end, always trying to keep the boat moving. It was a whole adventure, it was really fun to sail, with so many different phases, and I’m really proud of the team. This leg also offered unforgettable moments with incredible landscapes and lots of marine wildlife.”

As the team rounded Cape Finisterre, they encountered pods of dolphins and pilot whales every few hundred meters. Team Malizia reported sightings to the Marine Mammal Advisory Group to support research on whale migration and help define exclusion zones for marine protection. Besides running their OceanPack, the crew also deployed a 

 in the Bay of Biscay. Smaller, lighter, and made with less plastic, this new model aims to make Ocean observation more affordable and sustainable, transmitting real-time Ocean current data via satellite.

Now, the team will take a short break to rest and enjoy a few days in Spain, with Francesca Clapcich almost a local there, speaking perfect Spanish and ready to share the best of the local culture, food, and sunshine with the team. But the break will be short: in just three days, the fleet will line up again for 

, a 650-nautical-mile sprint from Cartagena to Nice, France, via the Cabo de Palos scoring gate. 

 returns as skipper. He will be joined by co-skippers 

“The Mediterranean is always full of surprises”, notes 

. “It’s some of the trickiest sailing we do, with unpredictable winds and local effects that can change everything in minutes. It makes the racing intense, but also really rewarding. What keeps us going is knowing the incredible job the shore team does to keep the boat in top shape; they work so hard, the boat is in perfect condition and we want the results to reflect their effort as much as ours.”

“This team has the talent, the spirit, and the boat to fight back, and I’m really proud of them”, comments

 for the remaining legs of The Ocean Race Europe. “We are ready to come back stronger and we are looking forward to returning to Nice and Monaco, where we were earlier this year for the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) and the christening of our research vessel, 

. It’s a beautiful place to finish the leg, and maybe that makes the battle to arrive among the firsts, and score more points in the process, even more exciting.”

A Race We Must Win – Climate Action Now!

mission is only possible due to the strong and long-lasting commitment from its 

: the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, Kuehne+Nagel, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Hapag-Lloyd, Schütz, and KPMG Germany. 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.

The Mediterranean, as tricky as it gets

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

Team Malizia encountered lots of marine wildlife during Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 ©️ Flore Hartout | Team Malizia

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

Skipper Will Harris and co-skipper Francesca Clapcich during Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 ©️ Flore Hartout | Team Malizia

Malizia - Seaexplorer off the coast of Cartagena in 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

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

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

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

Team Malizia's crew for Leg 2 from Portsmouth to Cartagena

Canada Ocean Racing - Be Water Positive – 6 points (not completed Leg 2 by time of publication)

Team AMAALA – 4 points (not completed Leg 2 by time of publication)

Team Malizia's crew for Leg 3 from Cartagena to Nice