When Lightning Strikes Twice - Damaged Instruments for Team Malizia's Boris Herrmann in Vendée Globe

The weather picture for Boris Herrmann on 7th January 2025 in the Vendée Globe 2024-25 © Boris Herrmann

It seemed impossible and yet it happened: After being struck by lightning in New York last May, Boris Herrmann's Malizia - Seaexplorer has suffered damage to key systems from a nearby lightning strike.

Whilst racing in 6th position during the Vendée Globe 2024-2025, the German skipper experienced on his most intense days of his life in relentless thunderstorms and torrential rain. Despite the chaos, he successfully navigated through the storm, restored some of the essential systems, and kept pushing forward in the round-the-world solo race.

"Yesterday was one of the craziest days I've ever had at sea", says Boris Herrmann, who hasn't had much rest since climbing the mast and fixing a rigging issue on his Malizia - Seaexplorer racing yacht on Monday afternoon. "It started with a massive front and relentless thunderstorms, unlike anything I've ever seen in all my years of sailing. It lasted all night and into the day, with pounding rain that I've never experienced before." Currently racing in his second Vendée Globe, the Team Malizia skipper was sailing near Cabo Frio off the coast of Brazil and heading towards the Equator when he encountered the storm. He explains in a video sent last night, on Day 58 of the round-the-world solo race: "The thunderstorms were intense, with lightning coming from all directions, waves crashing, and the boat struggling to stay upright. A few times, we were lying flat on the sea, and I got thrown around. Thankfully, nothing broke, until lightning struck close by."

"Immediately, my screen started flashing, went black, and the autopilot shut off along with the instruments. Alarms were blaring, and the boat lost control, lying flat in the water. The wind picked up again, more thunder, more lightning, it was relentless. I think the sea really showed me its teeth yesterday. Whether it was the Vendée Globe or just the weather, it's a day I won't forget."

With minimal sleep, no time to eat, and adrenaline still pumping, the German offshore sailor reflects on this "day of the memories": "Since then, I've been battling to recover. We've just come out of the front, and for the last half hour, I've finally had some north wind again. Earlier, the south wind made things nearly impossible. The boat could easily hit 30 knots if I wasn't paying attention, and with the swell coming from the front, it was chaos. I realised I haven't eaten properly since the mast climb, just a gel from my friend Thomas Theriult and some power snacks. Thankfully, I just managed to have dinner, which is the first proper meal in a while. From the most beautiful evening to the most horrendous weather, it all changed so quickly."

Challenging the old adage that lightning never strikes the same place twice, sailors, often guided by both science and tradition, know better than to dismiss such possibilities. Or perhaps the saying doesn't apply when "the place" is moving. After being struck by lightning in New York last May, Malizia - Seaexplorer has been unlucky once again, suffering damage from the lightning strike nearby. This time, fortunately, the damage is far less severe than last time. However, quite a few of the electrical elements onboard are no longer functioning and will need to be repaired, swapped out for spares, or Boris will have to make do without.

"Thanks to the shore team, we've been able to recover one autopilot with a working set of wind instruments, which is essential.", explains Boris Herrmann. "However, a lot of systems are still down. The radar is broken, the main screen doesn't work, I have no load sensors, no foil rake readings, and the keel system is partially manual now. But I can charge the batteries, use the water maker, and still have Oscar and one functional pilot."

Looking ahead to calmer waters, the Team Malizia skipper showcases resilience and knows that even though the storm has passed, the race is far from over: "Six months ago, we were hit by lightning in New York, which was catastrophic, everything was destroyed. This time, it's not as bad as that, but it was still terrifying. I hope this is the last thunderstorm of the race! We'll soon be tacking and heading northeast. After that, I'll eat properly again and try to calm down enough to get some sleep. I still can't believe what a crazy, crazy day it was. Wow. Just wow."

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.