Boris Herrmann’s new IMOCA rocket

Team Malizia and Boris Herrmann have had an eventful week. It is the first week of a new era with the “Malizia 4”, which was launched on July 6, 2026 at La Base in Lorient. So far, almost everything is going according to plan. The first “in-flight shots” of the new yacht looked impressive, strongly reminiscent of the spectacular launch of the sleek “Paprec Arkéa” at the start of the Ocean Race Europe in Kiel last summer.

Boris Herrmann and his team have just a few days following the launch of the new “Malizia 4” Nothing but good news to report. There was talk of “love at first sail”. And of an “incredibly smooth and impressive first week”. That’s exactly how it looked on closer inspection on site. The launch was followed by the 90-degree heel test, during which only the crane faltered briefly, but not the black-and-red speedster from Team Malizia.

Just two days after her launch, “Malizia 4” was ready for her first sea trial. Just 36 hours after the launch, she set sail in light Breton winds at twilight for the waters between Lorient and Île de Groix. The short trip was enough to test the foils and sails. The crew hoisted every sail in their inventory once, checked the systems and got a first feel for the new boat.

For the crew, but also for the many onlookers on the banks, the test run provided another visual highlight that was impossible to miss: the new vessel was revealed on the water for the first time in its new livery. This was a special moment even for the crew, who for many months had only been able to see Jean-Baptiste Epron’s color scheme in renderings, paint stencils and photos from the shipyard.

When the wind picked up a little more in Lorient Bay and the surrounding waters, Team Malizia took advantage of the stronger breeze for their first flight. It was their first time out on the foils. Boris Herrmann and his team were pleased with the result after two years in the making More than satisfied. The skipper reacted happily and cheerfully, saying: “So what if it works?”

“Malizia 4” lifted gently onto its foils. Right from the very first attempt, it achieved an impressively stable flight. For all the fathers and mothers who had worked so hard over the past two years to bring this boat to life, it was one of the most significant moments. Another remarkable aspect of this first week was how smoothly the team’s initial steps with the new IMOCA went according to plan, and how quickly the boat was ready for action at a high level.

It took the team just five days from the launch to the successful first take-off. The precision with which they made rapid and focused progress also reflects the tight schedule that the team is determined to stick to, as the first major regatta is due to start (the new Ocean Race Atlantic) September 1 in New York. The date is fast approaching and the new boat still needs to be transported there. So sailing, foiling, flying, learning and fine-tuning are the order of the day.

For example, an interesting test is also planned for next week in collaboration with the most recent Vendée Globe winner, “Macif”. The slender “Malizia 4”, around one meter narrower than its predecessor “Malizia 3”, which features lower drag and strong, slightly longer foils, seems ready for the next stages in its still-young life.

The planned rendezvous could provide an initial indication as to whether “Malizia 4” can fulfil the challenge set for the designers at the outset: to outperform not only its predecessor downwind and in stronger winds, but also the Vendée Globe champion “Macif” in calm waters and light winds, could be provided by the planned rendezvous. It is not yet certain who will take over the current “Macif”. What is certain, however, is that Sam Goodchild will be getting a new IMOCA for his second Vendée Globe next year.

It will be designed by Guillaume Verdier and is likely to bear a closer resemblance to the radical design for Team DMG Mori that has just been unveiled. Their new hull made quite an impression with its bustle and lateral water ballast tanks. The same goes for Team Malizia. “That really is a very, very radical design,” said Boris Herrmann in Lorient.

However, the exact direction of the overall concept for the new Verdier boats remained unclear for the time being, as the foils had not yet been fitted at DMG Mori. “We don’t yet know what their foils will look like. A lot will depend on that,” explained Boris Herrmann. The “Malizia 4” skipper made no secret of the fact that, like the entire IMOCA family, he was surprised by the radical nature of DMG Mori’s design.

“We’ll have to wait and see how things develop. The boat seems to have been built specifically for The Ocean Race,” said Boris Herrmann, describing his first impressions. The Ocean Race is the best-known round-the-world team race, which Boris Herrmann would love to win with Team Malizia. In terms of numbers, there isn’t a huge field of competitors lined up for the race at this stage. In terms of quality, however, the field is certainly very interesting. Before that, though, comes this year’s next IMOCA summit: The Ocean Race Atlantic in September.

The Ocean Race Atlantic: https://www.theoceanrace.com/en/atlantic/2026
The Ocean Race: https://www.theoceanrace.com/en/home

The Ocean Race Route:
• Alicante, Spain (start)
• Auckland, New Zealand
• Itajaí, Brazil
• St. Petersburg, USA
• Cascais, Portugal
• Port Said, Egypt (tentative)
• AMAALA, Saudi Arabia (finish)

Source: Yacht.de