An epic six-month race around the world began in Alicante on Sunday, with Monaco Yacht Club member Boris Herrmann representing the Principality in the Ocean Race. 

Sunday’s departure from the Spanish city is the beginning of an around-the-world adventure, which will see the Monégasque team sail around the western coast of Africa, before heading around to the east coast of South America. From there, the flotilla will head north to Newport before heading across the Atlantic and back to Europe before a grand finale in Geneva on 1st July.

The Malizia-Seaexplorer, manned by Herrmann, Will Harris, Rosalin Kuiper, Nicolas Lunven, Yann Eliès, Axelle Pillain and Antoine Auriol are currently making their way towards Cape Verde, just off the west coast of Africa. They are in third position, 93 nautical miles away from current leaders Holcim-PRB.

The race represents the Malizia-Seaexplorers second voyage, after the boat competed in November 2022. During that race, from France to the Carribean, the boat sustained damage, and has had to be repaired in the meantime.

Pierre Casiraghi, YCM vice-president and founder of Team Malizia has high hopes for the boat, and its crew. “I think Boris and Team Malizia will do very well in this race. He has a lot of experience sailing all over the world with many different teams and boats,” he said.

Between now and July, Herrmann and his team will cover an incredible 32,000 nautical miles. They are only the second Monégasque team to participate in the competition, and it is the first time that the Principality will be represented in the competition since 1997-98. A new chapter in Monaco’s sailing history is in the process of being written.

Photo by Jimmy Horel / YCM