Enlarge image
Skipper Boris Herrmann's »Malizia – Seaexplorer«
Photo: Loic Venance / dpa
Successful start to the 14th The Ocean Race for Boris Herrmann and his team Malizia.
The team of the Hamburg skipper won the first port race in Alicante on Sunday, one week before the start of the circumnavigation.
A successful choice of sailing wardrobe and a lot of concentration were the keys to success.
Herrmann's new building »Malizia – Seaexplorer« won the first showdown ahead of the US team 11th Hour Racing and the French team Biotherm.
The Guyot Environment - Team Europe with co-skipper Robert Stanjek and crew member Phillip Kasüske from Berlin sailed in fourth place.
The Swiss team Holcim – PRB with skipper Kevin Escoffier was the last boat to cross the finish line in the one-hour doldrums with the winds dropping sharply.
Although the results of the harbor races do not play a direct role in the Ocean Race, they do make the difference at the end of the circumnavigation when two or more teams are tied on points after a total of seven stages.
The Ocean Race lasts more than six months
Boris Herrmann had Butch Dalrymple Smith on board as a guest of honour.
The Brit had won the premiere of the Ocean Race 1973/1974 as a sailor 50 years ago.
The yacht designer and engineer Butch Dalrymple Smith contested the Whitbread Round the World Race on Ramón Carlin's Mexican »Sayula II«, which was surprisingly victorious at the time.
The crew circumnavigation of The Ocean Race takes its participants around the world over six months and nine ports.
Herrmann finished the transatlantic regatta Route du Rhum in November in 24th place. Technical problems on the ship meant that he missed the targeted top position, but managed to qualify for the Vendée-Globe circumnavigation, in which he would like to take part for the second time in 2024.
For the first time, Germany's most well-known professional sailor took part in the Vendée Globe in 2020/2021.
The race is considered the toughest in the world.
He then rammed a fishing trawler 90 nautical miles from his destination.
kjo/dpa