Team Malizia’s Skipper Boris Herrmann Secures Broken Foil And Resumes Racing In Vendée Globe

16 January 2025, Atlantic Ocean - After reporting significant damage to the port foil of his Malizia - Seaexplorer race yacht this Thursday while he was racing in the Vendée Globe 2024-2025, Boris Herrmann has conducted repairs and secured his damaged foil. Following the incident, the boat remained seaworthy, although it was essential to take care of the damaged foil as, if left in place, it could likely compromise the integrity of the hull and the safety of the boat.

Upon acknowledging that the foil was damaged beyond repair, Boris Herrmann and his Team Malizia were hoping to find a solution that would keep the foil attached to the boat and not have to force the German skipper to cut it as a last resort. This afternoon, Boris Herrmann sent some good news from onboard along with videos: “We are back on a north-northwest course, sailing as close to the wind as possible. The port foil is 80% retracted. I used the grinder to cut away a bit of the damaged foil skin on both sides, allowing me to retract the foil. It didn’t fully retract, but at least to 80%, which enabled me to stabilise the movement of the weakened and broken foil with a line secured at the front and back.”

He continues: “This line setup is still a work in progress. The rear line has already come loose again, but the front one is holding up well. At the moment, it’s limiting the foil’s movement quite effectively. For now, I’ll have something to eat and then stop the boat again, bear away from the wind, and try to secure the rear line somehow. That’s not easy because the front of the foil is rounded, and the line keeps slipping backwards.”

“So far, so good”, he adds. “I think we’ll be able to make it to the finish without major difficulties. We certainly can’t sail particularly fast, as the foil will act up, but I think a maximum speed of 12–13 knots should be achievable. We’ll have to see how we manage these slower speeds if we encounter strong winds. It’s not an ideal situation, but we’re doing our best. If the foil allows, I’ll sail as fast as possible.”

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

Press contacts:

Helene Katz
Head of Communications
helene@borisherrmannracing.com
+49 (0)176 6252 1967

Holly Cova
Team Director
holly@borisherrmannracing.com
+49 (0)172 255 5754