Team Malizia Departs New York Ahead of The Ocean Race Atlantic Start
by Team Malizia 1 Sep 21:42 BST
1 September 2026
Boris Herrmann and his crew have left New York and are now heading offshore for the start of The Ocean Race Atlantic and Malizia 4's racing debut © Marie Lefloch / Team Malizia
After almost two months of intensive preparation, testing and training, Team Malizia has taken the next big step with its new Malizia 4, departing New York aboard their latest-generation IMOCA ahead of her first-ever race start.
Skipper Boris Herrmann (GER), co-skippers Cole Brauer (USA), Justine Mettraux (SUI), Julien Villion (FRA) and onboard reporter Gauthier Lebec (FRA) sailed out of New York Harbor alongside the five other teams competing in The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026, passing the Statue of Liberty. They are now slowly heading offshore towards the race's start line, approximately 100 nautical miles from the coast, in order to minimise the risk of disturbance to marine mammals. They are expected to cross the start line at 06:00 EDT / 10:00 UTC / 12:00 CEST on Wednesday, 2 September.
The departure from Brooklyn Bridge Marina followed the Sailors' Parade and Dock-Out Show, where spectators braved the rain to bid the six-boat fleet farewell. Team Malizia left the dock to the sounds of You Sexy Thing by Hot Chocolate, their newly adopted team song after it unexpectedly played following their longtime anthem during the christening of Malizia 4 and quickly became a favourite. For the whole team, this departure marks the culmination of a remarkably intense period since the new boat's launch in Lorient on 6 July.
In less than two months, the new race yacht has already sailed more than 6,500 nautical miles, but now comes the real test: Malizia 4's racing debut. "Finally, we are getting to the action that we came for," Boris Herrmann said. "This race across the North Atlantic is going to demand everything from us because a deep low-pressure system is approaching with a lot of wind. There will also be a huge amount of sea state. But we can't wait to start sailing and discover this new boat in conditions we have never seen it sailing in before, with a new crew configuration, and against competitors we have never seen before on the water. So, compared to previous races, I definitely feel a lot more uncertainty, but also a great deal of excitement ahead of the start."
"There's a real generation gap between the boats and I think there will be a real battle with DMG MORI Global One, 11th Hour Racing, United by the Ocean and us, both in terms of performance and reliability", noted Justine Mettraux. "And it's nice to have those rivalries alongside the personal connections too: my sister is here, and Boris and Will [Harris] are very close, even though they're not on the same boat this time. We're all here to do our best race possible, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out."
"For the first 24 hours, there will be a trough line around the starting area", said Julien Villion. "We have to deal with this for the first 12 hours and find our way to the south-easterly breeze before being caught by a low-pressure system crossing the Atlantic with us. So it can be a bit tricky, with some thunderstorms, over the next 24 hours as we make our way to the starting line." The French navigator explained that after that, the first 12 to 24 hours will be a real strategic game, about finding their way through that trough line. "To me, that first chapter is super important. For sure, it's looking to be a fast race. The routing today says that we are crossing the Atlantic almost on one tack, on starboard tack, and we're expecting 6.5 to 7.5 days of racing, which is pretty fast for the IMOCA class."
Onboard reporter Gauthier Lebec said shortly before dock-off: "One of the most challenging parts will be showing just how difficult it can be to sail these IMOCAs, especially on this route. It's not going to be a postcard picture, with beautiful landscapes, sunsets and the boat gliding along. It's going to be pretty rough, and life on board will definitely be a challenge. I'm also really excited to capture the story of a brand-new race, the friendly rivalries between the sailors and boats, and, with a bit of luck, hopefully a record being broken!"
The fleet is now sailing out of New York Harbour and heading approximately 100 nautical miles offshore to the race's start area. The race committee has updated the schedule, with the start now set for 06:00 EDT (local time) / 10:00 UTC / 12:00 CEST on 2 September. The extended period between dock-out and the start is due to the offshore location, allowing the fleet to transit at reduced speed through an area known for its rich marine mammal population before racing begins.
For Cole Brauer, the unusual departure is a welcome one: "It actually helps us get into race mode. Rather than going straight from the dock into racing, we have time to settle in, go through our routines and really get in the zone. As an offshore racer, I also much prefer to start away from land, traffic, buoys and marine mammal areas, which we are very conscientious about."
Boris Herrmann agrees: "It's perhaps less spectacular for the fans on site, and we'll definitely miss our shore crew waving goodbye from the RIB, but I actually like this type of start as well. And with the development of technology, race organisers are finding innovative ways to bring our sport closer to the public, and we fully support that. There will be a 24/7 live stream from the onboard outside cameras, as well as a daily 30-minute live show with multiple cameras inside the cockpit. It will give fans an even closer insight into what life is really like on board."
To add another layer of excitement, each live show will feature a daily 20-minute sprint, with teams competing to cover the greatest distance during that window. "I hope spectators will enjoy this new format because it creates something immediate to follow and talk about," he explains. "It also gives teams further back in the fleet, perhaps in a different weather system, a chance to step into the spotlight. And it creates an interesting tactical decision for us every day: do we stay on our optimal course for the overall race, or make a small course change to maximise our sprint performance?"
Running 24/7 alongside the race will be Team Malizia's OceanPack. Just like the team's previous race boats, Malizia 4 is equipped with the system to collect measurements of sea-surface CO2, temperature and salinity as the team sails across the globe. The data will be made freely available to scientists, continuing Team Malizia's contribution to Ocean science and its mission, which aims to deepen our understanding of the Ocean's role in the climate system and inspire ambitious climate action. The German skipper comments: "We've already gathered a good dataset on the delivery to New York, and it will be fascinating to see what we collect over the next 6 or 7 days before we arrive in Lorient."
Team Malizia's A Race We Must Win - Climate Action Now! mission which combines sailing, science, education and partnerships is only possible due to the strong and long-lasting commitment from its six main partners: Schütz, KPMG Germany, the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, 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.