Monaco Ocean Week | 20-25 March 2022

Wednesday 23th March 2022. In the Principality for the 5th Monaco Ocean Week, Boris Herrmann who finished 5th in the last Vendée Globe on Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco, was at the YCM to meet children in the Sports Section. It was an opportunity for them to chat with him about his five year campaign that he will start on Malizia III, a brand new IMOCA still in the shipyard.

Passing on a passion

Through the eyes of the kids, Boris spent an hour looking back at his career from the early days to this latest project. Called Malizia III, the brand new IMOCA under construction is the object of everyone’s desires. Presented Monday 21st March exclusively to Yacht Club de Monaco members attended by its Vice-President Pierre Casiraghi and the skipper, the 60-footer revived all the passions, an enthusiasm shared ten-fold with the youngest in the Club.

 

After a signing session, Boris continued discussing his plans with this next generation of sailors, a session made extra special by a surprise visit from HSH Prince Albert II. The YCM’s President had come to congratulate the sailor on his initiative in launching another campaign and take part in the intergenerational meeting.

For the children, meeting Boris Herrmann, the skipper they’d supported throughout his first Vendée Globe, the man who had them dreaming during that solo round the world race and who is about to do it again, is a great privilege.

They were able to ask Boris about the meaning of the name Malizia and why the race is called the Vendée. This epic challenge fascinates people of all ages, the solitude, life on board, the harshness of the elements – so many aspects that only a handful of sailors have the courage to face.

Another topic of great interest and conversation was the ecological dimension. “One day a young girl wanted to go to New York without using polluting means of transport and wanted to come aboard a boat called Malizia,” he began, referring to the Atlantic crossing with Greta Thunberg. Fascinated by all they had heard up to now, they were completed won over by this last anecdote.