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Boris Herrmann

Cole Brauer

Justine Mettraux

Julien Villion

Gauthier Lebec

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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Team Malizia has departed New York aboard Malizia 4 and is now heading offshore towards the start line of The Ocean Race Atlantic. Following the Sailors' Parade and Dock-Out Show, the crew, skippered by Boris Herrmann, sailed past the Statue of Liberty alongside the five other IMOCA teams under grey skies and light winds, as dedicated spectators lined the waterfront despite the rain to give the fleet a warm send-off. After making its way to the start line located approximately 100 nautical miles offshore, the fleet will officially begin racing on 2 September, setting course across the North Atlantic for Lorient, France.

 – After almost two months of intensive preparation, testing and training, 

 has taken the next big step with its new 

, departing New York aboard their latest-generation IMOCA ahead of her first-ever race start. Skipper 

 (FRA) sailed out of New York Harbor alongside the five other teams competing in 

, 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 

 by Hot Chocolate, their newly adopted team song after it unexpectedly played following their longtime anthem during the christening of 

 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: 

's racing debut. “Finally, we are getting to the action that we came for,” 

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 

 and us, both in terms of performance and reliability”, noted 

. “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 

. “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.”

 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 / 

 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.

, 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.”

 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,” 

. “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, 

 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. 

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.”

 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 

: 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.

Team Malizia's crew for The Ocean Race Atlantic, from left to right: Boris Herrmann, Gauthier Lebec, Cole Brauer, Julien Villion and Justine Mettraux

Team Malizia's crew for The Ocean Race Atlantic, from left to right: Boris Herrmann, Gauthier Lebec, Cole Brauer, Julien Villion and Justine Mettraux © Marie Lefloch | Team Malizia

Skipper Boris Herrmann shortly before docking-off in New York

Co-skipper Justine Mettraux onboard Malizia 4 and in front of the Manhattan skyline

Boris Herrmann saying goodbye to his long-time co-skipper Will Harris who is sailing this race onboard their former Malizia - Seaexplorer (now 11th Hour Racing) before returning to Team Malizia for The Ocean Race 2027

Boris Herrmann saying goodbye to his long-time co-skipper Will Harris who is sailing this race onboard their former 

Co-skipper Cole Brauer saying goodbye to fans and teams as she departed from her home state

Co-skipper Cole Brauer saying goodbye to fans and teams as she departed from her home state © Marie Lefloch | Team Malizia

Boris Herrmann onboard Malizia 4 in front of Downtown Manhattan

Today's departure was marked with an iconic backdrop as Malizia 4 headed out for her first ever race

Today's departure was marked with an iconic backdrop as 