-
Hamburg’s „round-the-world“ record sailor,
Boris Herrmann, set to become the first German to take part in the
toughest regatta in the world. -
Foiling yacht “Malizia” to be optimised with BMW technology
for the non-stop solo race around the world. -
Latest generation of Open 60 yacht ready for a record
attempt on the Mediterranean with team partner BMW.
Lorient/Munich. For the first time in history, a German sailor
is set to take on one of the biggest and toughest challenges in
competitive sailing: the Vendée Globe. Hamburg’s Boris Herrmann has
his sights set on competing in the next edition of the solo regatta,
which takes place in November 2020 and sees competitors sail
non-stop around the world on the Southern Ocean. Team partner for
the campaign is fellow sailor Pierre Casiraghi, founder of the
Malizia team, which competes for the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM). BMW
is on board as team partner, bringing with it the company’s
expertise in automotive manufacturing and its experience of
technology transfer in competitive sailing.
BMW has been involved in the America’s Cup since 2002, and won
the most coveted trophy in sailing with BMW ORACLE Racing in 2010.
Over the coming year, the foiling Open 60 yacht “Malizia” will be
optimised for the toughest solo race in the world. The team and BMW
development engineers have together identified areas in which the
automotive group can provide support, for example with its expertise
in lightweight design and electric drives.
“Pierre Casiraghi and Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia campaign is a
very ambitious project which will push man and equipment to their
absolute limits,” said Sven Schuwirth, Head of BMW Brand. “BMW loves
this kind of challenge, which allows us to demonstrate our pioneering
and innovative spirit. We look forward to supporting the team and,
above all, skipper Boris Herrmann as the first German to take part in
the Vendée Globe, and to preparing the racing yacht as effectively as
possible for a successful around the world race using our
technological expertise and the experience gained over the course of
four America’s Cup campaigns.”
Herrmann will contest the Vendée Globe with an offshore racing yacht
from the IMOCA class. The “Malizia” is one of the latest generation of
Open 60 boats and is equipped with L-shaped foils, which can lift the
yacht partly out of the water, making it far faster than previous
designs. In March, following initial modifications, Herrmann
transferred the yacht, which was built in 2015, from the shipyard in
Lorient/Brittany to the Mediterranean. It is now at its home yacht
club in Monaco, where it is undergoing further modification for the
regattas ahead.
“I am very proud to have BMW on board. We have a big task ahead of
us. Among sailors, the Vendée Globe is regarded as the Mount Everest
of our sport,” said Herrmann. “BMW is not only a fantastic brand but,
as technology partner in the America’s Cup, has also emphatically
demonstrated over the past fifteen years that it knows how to optimise
racing yachts, even at the very limit. We are very happy to be able to
call on this engineering expertise for our campaign.”
The “Malizia” sails under the flag of the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM).
Vice President of the YCM, Pierre Casiraghi, is the youngest son of
Princess Caroline of Monaco, sails regularly with Herrmann, and is
supporting him on the Vendée campaign. Among other things, he will
race alongside the German at various Open 60 double-handed regattas.
Wind permitting, the duo’s first race outing in 2018 will be next
week’s record attempt on the Mediterranean from Marseille (FRA) to
Cartagena (ESP). Last year, Herrmann and Casiraghi finished an
excellent third in the iconic Rolex Fastnet Race.
“The campaign is now picking up pace this season, and the partnership
with BMW has given us another boost,” said Casiraghi. “I am really
looking forward to working with such a renowned and innovative company
as BMW. Together, we can achieve our ambitious goals.”