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

Team Malizia The Ocean Race Europe Leg 3 Arrival in Nice © Marie Lefloch I Team Malizia

Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia crossed the finish line of Leg 3 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 in fifth place on Friday, 29 August. After an intense 650-nautical-mile sprint from Cartagena, Spain, the crew arrived in Nice, France, at 09:42 local time (07:42 UTC) following 2 days, 18 hours, 42 minutes, and 53 seconds at sea.

Racing against six strong competitors, skipper Boris Herrmann (GER) was joined by co-skippers Francesca Clapcich (ITA/USA), Cole Brauer (USA), Loïs Berrehar (FRA), and onboard reporter Flore Hartout (FRA/NED) for this demanding leg through the Mediterranean.

"It might not have looked like it from the outside at times, but it was wild and really full-on the whole time", commented Boris Herrmann after his arrival in Nice. "The manoeuvring in the light winds can sometimes be even more work than in the strong winds. We had everything: from full-on conditions with small headsails to spinnakers. We used every sail, which isn't the case on most legs, so it was constant action and really enjoyable racing."

The German skipper adds: "I'm really proud of the team. They worked incredibly hard, and we were in sight of our competitors the whole time. In the end, it wasn't quite enough, but it could have been a podium finish. It was a fantastic leg, a lot of fun, and I'm truly proud of the spirit we kept on board and how we worked together."

Right from the start in Cartagena, the pressure of Leg 3 was palpable. With a short start line and an upwind first stretch, Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia had to stay sharp to position themselves well. "It was full focus from the very first moment," he explained. Hoping for the right wind shift, Team Malizia opted for a more southern route to the scoring gate, but it wasn't enough to secure the points. Over the following 650 nautical miles to Nice, Malizia - Seaexplorer remained in the top five, frequently exchanging positions with their rivals, before Biotherm and Team Holcim-PRB eventually broke free, leaving much of the fleet becalmed near the Balearic Islands in sweltering heat.

Navigator Loïs Berrehar barely slept as thunderstorms and shifting weather patterns kept him and Boris Herrmann constantly rethinking the best strategy. "We've been racing in sight of each other for a long time, it's been really intense," said Loïs Berrehar. When the wind finally filled in on Thursday, the team sped in very fast reaching conditions through rough seas towards a waypoint off Saint-Tropez, before sailing towards Corsica.

Thursday afternoon, Race Control issued a race course amendment that shifted the final turning mark of Leg 3 from the actual Ile De La Giraglia (a rocky islet off the northwest tip of Corsica) to a virtual waypoint 20 miles further to the northwest. This had the effect of keeping the fleet a safe distance away from a potentially treacherous night rounding of the 'rock' in conditions that were forecast to include thunderstorms and gale force winds.

Rounding the final waypoint in the middle of the night, Team Malizia then headed northwest toward Nice. After two and a half days of intense racing, the Malizia crew crossed the line 2,5 hours after Leg 3 winner Biotherm and just 21 minutes behind fourth-placed Team Paprec Arkéa, securing fifth place in a leg where the final ranking didn't fully reflect the crew's relentless effort and determination.

"We had a bit of everything out there, from 0 to 30 knots of wind, and some of the other teams had even more", said co-skipper Francesca Clapcich. "We definitely pushed all the way, and at the end we were only about a mile behind Team Paprec Arkéa, trying to catch them right up to the finish. It is what it is, we pushed the boat, we pushed each other to be the best version of ourselves, but in the end, hats off to the other teams. They sailed better in a few key moments, were a bit faster, and they got us. That's sport, and that's what makes competition so exciting, docking in almost at the same time after such a close fight over tough days at sea."

The team is now enjoying a brief stopover in the South of France before setting sail on Sunday for Leg 4 to Genova. Shortly after the start, the boats will compete to be first at the scoring gate in Monaco, where Team Malizia hopes to score points in their home waters. Loïs Berrehar will step off the boat after two legs, and Team Malizia co-founder and Vice-President of the Yacht Club of Monaco, Pierre Casiraghi, will join the crew onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer. "I'm very excited to race with Pierre", commented Boris Herrmann. "He's going to bring some fresh energy, we will have a strong crew also with Francesca and Cole, and racing past Monaco will definitely be a highlight in this leg." Leg 4 is set to start on Sunday 31 August at 17:00 local time in Nice.

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