Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia Takes Second Place in Leg 1 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025
by Team Malizia 14 Aug 18:08 BST
14 August 2025
Team Malizia grabbed a second-place finish in the last moments of Leg 1 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 © Marie Lefloch / Team Malizia
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.
After an intense and closely fought race from Kiel, Germany, to Portsmouth, United Kingdom, Team Malizia crossed the finish line of Leg 1 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 in second place, the crew visibly elated after days of hard work at sea. Skipper Boris Herrmann (GER), with co-skippers Will Harris (ENG), Cole Brauer (USA), and Justine Mettraux (SUI), alongside onboard reporter Flore Hartout (FRA/NED), arrived in Portsmouth on this Thursday 14 August 2025 at 12:44 local time (11:44 UTC) after 3 days, 21 hours, 54 minutes, and 50 seconds at sea.
Over 1,060.2 nautical miles aboard Malizia - Seaexplorer, they chased the leaders relentlessly, finishing just 1 hour, 56 minutes, and 20 seconds behind Leg 1 winner Biotherm. After holding third place for most of the leg, the crew found the extra push in the final miles to overtake Team Paprec Arkéa, securing second place and six valuable points, a strong start to their overall Ocean Race Europe campaign.
"It was a fun and intense race, I'm very happy," skipper Boris Herrmann said moments after stepping on land. "It's great, not only for us but also for the race, as it got really exciting at the end, particularly since we were the only boat to overtake another. It was an amazing morning for us, hoisting the kite and seeing if we could sail deeper with our spinnaker than they could with their sail, and that's ultimately how we managed to overtake them. This leg was tough but I really enjoyed racing in these waters with this crew."
"It's really exciting to be here in Portsmouth, in my home waters, especially after such an intense start to The Ocean Race Europe", said Will Harris. "Everything happened in that first leg: We had really strong winds at the start, a lot of action, then a light-wind transition, and finally finishing along the English coast. The winds were absolutely crazy, and we were fighting hard to come back to second place. I'm really happy we managed it in the end and arriving in the UK in second is an incredible feeling."
The Ocean Race Europe kicked off in Kiel with a spectacular start as seven IMOCA boats lined up in 15-20 knots of breeze, each fighting for the best position and aiming to be first to the nearby scoring gate. Biotherm reached it first to claim two points, with Team Paprec Arkéa following in second to take one point. Team Malizia's start was hampered by a technical issue with a furler, preventing the strong getaway they had hoped for. Minutes later, the action turned dramatic when Allagrande Mapei Racing and Team Holcim-PRB collided shortly after crossing the line. Both crews were unharmed, returned to the dock, and began repairs in the hope of rejoining the race as soon as possible.
"The start in Kiel was quite intense, with little room and little time, and on top of that there was a technical issue with our furler", Boris Herrmann recalls. "So we were a bit behind at the start. But the team managed it really well, everyone worked together perfectly, great teamwork. The passage through the Baltic Sea up to Skagen was quite fast and intense. I'd describe the North Sea as a bit less intense, as the gaps between the boats were bigger and initially not much was possible. It got really exciting last night, when the course opened up and we could choose different options, tacking with and against the currents every six hours."
On Wednesday evening, Race Management announced that the course would be extended by approximately 60 nautical miles to ensure the leading boat finished in daylight. The extension required two extra laps in the Solent, rounding marks back and forth before crossing the finish line off Portsmouth.
Overnight, Team Malizia closed the gap to Team Paprec Arkéa, briefly moving ahead before the French team regained the advantage. In the final hours, as both battled through the extended course, Boris Herrmann's crew gybed away to break free, turning a 1.5-nautical-mile deficit into a 1.5-nautical-mile lead. "When the course was extended, we had already closed a lot of the gap to Team Paprec Arkéa", Will Harris comments. "We had pushed really hard yesterday to see if we could get past them and ended up sailing side by side, but couldn't quite cross ahead. Then, with the extension, we hoisted the spinnaker, which played to our advantage. That gave us a wind shift, and we managed to get in front and hold the lead all the way to the finish."
Holding a margin of less than 2 nautical miles, Team Malizia kept their position to the line to claim second place on the podium, with Yoann Richomme's Paprec Arkéa finishing just 7 minutes and 24 seconds behind. Will Harris adds: "The last 36 hours have been some of the most intense sailing I've done, with hardly any sleep, but that is what we are here for and I'm really happy with our performance as a team. We're really happy with such a strong start. It's a tough fleet out here, everyone is pushing all the time, so taking second place gives us confidence that we are a fast boat and can be in the fight for the top spots. The fact that we were the only boat to overtake another shows the fighting spirit we have on board."
"I'm really happy with the result and with how we finished the race", commented Justine Mettraux. "I feel good, though a bit tired, it was really intense. There's some pain in the shoulders and arms from all the maneuvers and grinding, but overall it was a good but demanding race, with lots of coastal racing, boats to avoid, many hazards, shores, and buoys. There were constant maneuvers and things to pay attention to. Even though it was a short leg, I think it was quite demanding on the sailors but the mood was really good."
The Swiss sailor adds: "Everyone pushed hard right until the end of the race. For me, it was also the first time racing with the team and sailing alongside Cole, Boris, and Will. It was great to spend more time on the boat, find my marks, see how everything works, and observe how everyone works together. I think it all came together really smoothly, and we're all really happy with how it went."
Cole Brauer comments: "I think we all worked really well together, giving each other the freedom to explore the boat and figure her out. She's not easy to sail, but nobody was micromanaging, it was more like: you feel what you feel, make it happen. That's why we worked so well as a team; we could just experiment."
Starting to clock some miles after her IMOCA debut, Cole Brauer notes: "For the actual offshore sailing, eating, sleeping, all of that, I've got that down. The interesting challenge in the IMOCA class is sailing with more people than I'm used to, since I usually sail solo or double-handed. You deal with more personalities, and it's all about whether you mesh. With Team Malizia, we mesh really well, and I'm excited to see what the rest of this race has to offer."
In only four days, the fleet will be back on the start line for the 1,400-nautical-mile Leg 2 from Portsmouth, United Kingdom, to Cartagena, Spain, via The Needles scoring gate and a Fly-By at Matosinhos/Porto in Portugal. Will Harris will lead Team Malizia for this stage, making him the only British skipper in this edition. He will be accompanied onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer by co-skippers Francesca Clapcich, Loïs Berrehar, and Justine Mettraux, with Flore Hartout reporting from on board too. Boris Herrmann and Cole Brauer will sit out this leg before rejoining for Leg 3.
Will Harris sees the three-hour pit stop in Matosinhos/Porto and the tricky Strait of Gibraltar as key challenges ahead. He notes: "There's a lot to prepare here in Portsmouth before Sunday, from checking the weather to showcasing the IMOCA boats and what Ocean racing is all about. It's going to be intense, but I'm also hoping to catch up with a few family and friends, get some rest, and recover from the first leg. Hopefully, we'll be back fighting fit for Sunday." Leg 2 gets under way on Sunday, 17 August, at 17:00 local time (16:00 UTC).
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 eight main partners: Hapag-Lloyd, Schütz, KPMG Germany, the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, Kuehne+Nagel, and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. 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.
Team Malizia's Leg 1 crew:
- Boris Herrmann (GER) - Skipper
- Will Harris (ENG) - Co-skipper
- Cole Brauer (USA) - Co-skipper
- Justine Mettraux (SUI) - Co-skipper
- Flore Hartout (FRA/NED) - Onboard reporter
Ranking after Leg 1:
- Biotherm - 9 points
- Team Malizia - 6 points
- Team Paprec Arkéa - 6 points
- Be Water Positive - 4 points
- Team Amaala - 3 points
- Team Holcim-PRB - 0 points
- Allagrande Mapei Racing - 0 points