Malizia-Seaexplorer “Around the World in 100 days” ending in the sweetest of victories
Imagine more than 100 days at sea going around the world… if the novel by Jules Verne “Around the World in Eighty Days” had not been written, now it surely has to be: “Around the World in One Hundred Days”.
More than 100 days in fact, each day contributing to the final glorious achievement. And the stars are the crew of Malizia-Seaexplorer in The Ocean Race.
The Malizia team overcame great challenges during the race, such as replacing broken foils just days before the start in Alicante, Boris Herrmann’s burnt foot, Rosalin Kuiper’s concussion and Nico Lunven’s injury, or even the grueling mast repair in the South Seas. However, these challenges did not stop the crew from delivering an incredible race with many ups and downs: From winning the first ever In-Port race with foils that were hardly tested, to winning in the South Seas leg – the longest in the history of The Ocean Race – passing by Cape Horn, or even breaking the 24-hour speed record for a monohull.
Malizia-Seaexplorer finished a magnificent third overall in this edition of the Ocean Race.
A Win to be Remembered for All-Time
But the icing on the cake was the finish of the 32.000 nautical mile Ocean Race. There is something never-to-be-forgotten about the close of a race around the world. It’s like approaching the checkered flag of the Monaco Grand Prix when you win the Prince of Races and, to take the analogy further, you also make the podium, third overall in the Drivers Championship.
Both are to be savoured but memorable for all-time is the win. And so it was.
Malizia-Seaexplorer found a way to win at the last minute in Leg 7 of The Ocean Race, saving the best for last. Boris Herrmann of the Yacht Club de Monaco and his crew boldly took the lead in extremely light and variable conditions at 6:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, closing in on the shore and picking up a light breeze along the coast.
This allowed them to overtake Team Holcim-PRB, which led much of this last contested stage between The Hague and Genoa.
Congratulations to Malizia-Seaexplorer, the 60-footer from the Yacht Club de Monaco, who finished 3rd in the 14th edition of The Ocean Race. The crew finished in style after taking victory on the 7th and last stage which joined The Hague to Genoa.
Boris Hermann of the Y.C.M. Will Harris, Rosalin Kuiper, Nico Lunven and reporter Antoine Auriol crossed the finish line this Tuesday, June 27 at 1:17:51 p.m. local time, after covering 2,768.78 nautical miles of this final stage in 11 days, 19 hours, 02 minutes and 51 seconds. After 6 months of intense racing, 7 stages, 9 stopover cities, Malizia-Seaexplorer concludes its world tour in style.
And congratulations to Boris Herrmann who has just completed his fifth circumnavigation.
Team Malizia founded by Pierre Casiraghi, vice-president of the Y.C.M. will now take part in the 10th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, the meeting place for alternative energies. The next big step for the IMOCA and its skipper will be the Vendée Globe.
