Instead of the planned press conference was cancelled due to the Corona pandemic, we conducted a detailed phone interview with Boris Herrmann about the new conditions for his race team Malizia. The Lockdown due to the corona crisis hits, the Teams in the Vendée Globe 2020 hard.
float: Boris, the last thing You on Facebook had posted was the Video of the reconstruction of the Malizia. How far are you now?
Boris Herrmann: We are now 98% finished. Unfortunately, it is three weeks late, to come before this Corona-crisis into the water. We are subject to the Lockdown and on edge for a while in the Standby mode.
- The tag was a race against time © Andreas Lindlahr/Team Malizia Float magazine © Andreas Lindlahr/Team Malizia Float magazine, The Team was in peak hours, a 20-man strong © Andreas Lindlahr/Team Malizia Float magazine
We started after the Transat Jacques Vabre at the beginning of December and have been working like Crazy on the ship – the most of the weekends, every day with a group of more than ten people. At peak times there were up to 20. We have put a lot of effort to keep our schedule. It was planned at 6. To go to April in the water. Now a large part of the team has been sent home and the factory to make. In France, there is the curfew.
This is really bitter. How is the other team?
From “so” to “so”, you can say. It hits all of the difficult, because even if the boat is in the water, we cannot exercise meaningful. You can’t travel more. And it is questionable, what are the ports being allowed to start, if you have a Problem with the ship.
“L’occitane en Provence” is a construction of Armel Tripon, who is in the water. As you can see between the one or other photo in the social networks. The arrived just in time in travel.
“DMG Mori” is a German company with Japanese Skipper, have since last year a new building. Already in February in the water. You were on the lake on the way to Cascais in Portugal in their training camp, when everything has pointed in the wrong course. The not more is for the team, a challenge that can – and fly.
“Maître CoQ IV” has just gone into the water, as the Lockdown came, and is now lying in the port to a standstill. The “Bank Populaire” was – the crane stood ready in the hall pushed back. We were able to observe directly from our hall.
The schedule has to be in the air © Andreas Lindlahr/Team Malizia Float magazine
dissolved, Like the mood in this Situation is because
The mood is mixed. It is, in some ways, such as slowing down. We were in the last few weeks in a race against time, because we on 10. May wanted to participate in the Transat CIC, which will certainly not take place. We had made ten days of training in April – plus some of the technology days, to be able to the tags, really, and perfectly set to validate. And then it should start. This whole schedule has dissolved now into thin air.
I have the feeling that for six years, for the first Time breathe again.
If this giant has a print of a falls, which is also what Lightening. But it is also a great disappointment! The many energy, the many money we have put into the project is wasted. I wonder: Where is the limit of the “getting better” and “more and more”? We can all think in these days of change.
As a racing team, it is of course much more in this logic: The best and fastest ship, the best Team – everything perfectly prepared. Imagine: now We have already bought the supplies for the Vendee Globe and pre-packaged. We are exemplary on the go!
Boris Herrmann’s © Team Malizia Float magazine
What are you shopping for the many time?
For the first Time, I have a bit more time for my little young family, and we have to prepare ourselves for this time, we will be more at home. We are expecting a baby in June, and since it’s nice to have a bit more time for yourself.
On the other hand, I follow and coordinate the technical operations at a distance. Now we had to decide what we do with the almost finished Foils: for safety’s sake, we have plastic, they quickly picked up Multi. Who knows when there, the operation is opened.
The Foils of Multiplast © Team Malizia Float magazine
reacts Like the Globe, the race management of the Vendée?
you have to first Sables a Vorrennen on the clock from New York to Les-d’olonne. The Start is for the 14. June planned. But I’m convinced that you will not gather the fleet in a timely manner in New York.
The Teams are likely to come not on time into the water. We hope in our class, at least this will be a race to prepare for still. The decision falls in two weeks.
I think a race with Start and finish in Europe or a large Atlantic cruise in France would be good. So, we can prepare all of us again in a sensible and measured. We now work in a slower pace on the boat. I hope that it is to may ready-to-sail and we sail in June as a race.
Malizia in Probetörn off the coast of southern England © Team Malizia Float magazine
at The Moment this is only so that we will survive this pandemic as well as possible. The subject of all. What if the Vendée Globe starting in November may not take place?
I hope that the situation up to November has greatly calmed down. If not, we have eh quite different problems. If the crisis lasts too long, it will meet a lot of sponsors. And many Teams will not be able to participate for financial reasons. If the Vendee is at an early stage is moved, it is also difficult, because we have to, in the meantime, the funding to maintain. Whether we sail or not: The fixed costs, we have one way or the other. You can hold on for a few months, but then it gets serious.
Last summer, brought Boris Herrmann Greta Thunberg to New York © Andreas Lindlahr Float magazine
You were now over the Winter very successfully and you can find new sponsors, such as, for example, Kuehne & Nagel.
Yes, we are on different legs of the well. We have two great sponsors, in Monaco and, more recently, Kuehne & Nagel. To explain that would have been part of the press conference. With you, we work together on the communication of sustainability.
Kuehne & Nagel has developed together with some major shipping companies a platform called Seaexplorer. Transportation customers can learn how the travel times and reliability are and how much CO2 is imitated in the case of different transport options. Customers can climate protection targets strategically in their Supply Chains integrate.
Malizia is renamed the Seaexplorer Yacht Club de Monaco © Team Malizia Float magazine Malizia in the future, Seaexplorer hot
Malizia is renamed, therefore, in Seaexplorer Yacht Club de Monaco. In addition, we have of course our technical partnerships. The most important of them is with Quantum Sails. With Sven Krause from Flensburg, we have developed this select cableless sail. We are the Only ones in the IMOCA class, which you use. You are ready and are being delivered.
What are you doing after our conversation?
I have a Call with Alex Thomson. We want to discuss how everyone is dealing with the current Situation.
Then say Hello to’ beautiful float, and thank you very much for the interview.
the reconstruction of The Malizia
This article was written by Kerstin Zillmer
*The post “Boris Herrmann Malizia Seaexplorer” is published by float magazine. Contact with the executives here.
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