BORIS HERRMANN AND TEAM MALIZIA LAUNCH MALIZIA 4

This early Monday morning at 07:38 local time, Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia celebrated a major milestone as their new IMOCA race yacht, Malizia 4, touched the water for the first time in Lorient, France. The launch marks the beginning of the team’s next sporting chapter after two years of design and construction involving over 150 people and over 85,000 hours of work.

“Today is a very emotional day for all of us,” said Boris Herrmann, skipper of Team Malizia as he was surrounded by many of the people who have put hundreds of hours in designing and building the boat. “For months we have watched Malizia 4 take shape from drawings to being built piece by piece, and now seeing her finally in the water is very special. I’m incredibly proud of the team and what we have achieved. It makes me ecstatic to see her.”

Following the splash near the CDK shipyard in Lorient La Base, Malizia 4 will use its brand new engine to go to the nearby Quai Papin, where operations will continue at 08:30 with the installation of the mast, boom, outriggers and rigging. Once the boat is at Quai Papin, the public is welcome to watch the operations from a safe distance. From noon onwards, the team will carry out a series of static tests, applying loads to the boat to verify that all systems are responding as expected. They will conduct the IMOCA class’ mandatory 90-degree stability test either tomorrow morning at 08:30, before beginning preparations for the yacht’s first sea trials in the coming days.

“A boat is not only a machine, it’s also something that you have an emotional relationship with”, added Boris Herrmann. “I’m already seeing it now. I find her so beautiful with her aggressive lines and distinctive Malizia colors, and I’m already very excited for the first sensations when we start sailing. I feel that with the other sailors too, everyone is really eager now to get on the water.”

Malizia 4 has been designed around one guiding philosophy: creating a versatile IMOCA capable of performing across the widest possible range of conditions. “Our previous IMOCA was very strong in heavy downwind conditions, and we wanted to keep that”, commented the German skipper. “At the same time, we wanted to build a boat that is also fast upwind, fast in light winds, quick through transitions, and flies early thanks to powerful foils.”

The new boat is the result of an unprecedented collaboration between three IMOCA teams. Team Malizia, TR Racing (skipper Thomas Ruyant, launched in June 2026) and Team Banque Populaire (skipper Loïs Berrehar, to be launched in 2027) joined forces to develop and build three sisterships. Combining their expertise and ambition, the teams have worked alongside naval architect Antoine Koch, design office Finot-Conq and structural engineering firm Gsea Design. The sisterships are an evolution of Koch’s previous IMOCA design (ex-Vulnérable, now Allagrande Mapei).

The result is a boat with a narrower, flatter hull and significantly less rocker than Team Malizia’s previous boat. As defined by the IMOCA class rules, the hull measures 60 feet (18.23 m) in length and is fitted with a 6-foot bowsprit. As on Malizia – Seaexplorer, Schütz’ CORMASTER® honeycomb material has been used in the hull and deck structures.

Those paying close attention will notice the blade, a new distinctive feature along the underside of the black and red hull. “Its purpose is to reduce the wetted surface when the boat heels”, explained technical director Pierre-François Dargnies. “The blade creates a boundary that helps the water separate cleanly from the hull and reduce drag.”

The yacht is fitted with the IMOCA one-design rotating carbon mast supplied by Lorima. The Generation 2 mast stands 27 metres above deck (28.5 m from waterline to the top of the mast) and is 20 kg heavier than the previous version, bringing the total weight of mast, boom and rigging to around 540 kg. As on the previous boat, ropes are supplied by technical partner Gleistein Ropes.

“The foils were designed with a clear objective: to match the downwind performance of Malizia – Seaexplorer in heavy conditions, while staying competitive with boats such as MACIF in flat water and light winds”, said Pierre-François Dargnies. “Built by C3 Technologies, their shape is a compromise between our previous C-shape foils and flatter designs that perform better upwind and in transitions.”

Painted Monaco red like the foils and keel, as with all appendages on previous Team Malizia boats, the V-tail rudders of Malizia 4 are another visible evolution, designed to improve trimming the boat.

Conceived for both The Ocean Race and the Vendée Globe, Malizia 4 features a fully enclosed cockpit with large panoramic windows, two winch tables with larger winches, and a cleaner layout that improves movement and efficiency. At first glance, one of the most visible differences in the cockpit are the steering wheels instead of a tiller. “Our goal is to win The Ocean Race and for that we think we need to hand steer, which can bring a bigger gain than a new hull or foil shape,” explained Boris Herrmann. “The biggest difference is made by us sailors, at least in certain conditions. That means the steering needs to be ergonomic, sheltered so you can stand there for longer periods, and responsive enough to feel the boat and really enjoy steering it.”

Two bunks are located in the aft cabin. Two additional bunks, as well as the chair and computers for navigation, are positioned in enclosed spaces on either side of the cockpit, creating living spaces very close to the cockpit. The sail locker at the front of the boat is accessible through these side enclosed spaces.

New technical partner ifm has equipped the boat with advanced sensors providing real-time monitoring of key onboard systems. Pressure sensors continuously measure ballast tank levels, while innovative radar sensors monitor the yacht’s flying height and attitude when foiling, providing valuable performance data for sailors and shore team.

The yacht also features more than one kilometre of onboard cabling connected to electronics provided by B&G, and an autopilot developed together with Pixel sur Mer, hydrogenetors, and the SEA.AI technology which use artificial intelligence, optical cameras, and thermal imaging to help crews detect floating hazards at sea before collisions occur.

Malizia 4 is equipped with an optimised hybrid-electric propulsion and energy system featuring a Molabo electric motor, Fischer Panda generator and Solid State Marine batteries. The engine is used as an essential system for harbour manoeuvres and safety, and also to charge the yacht’s energy systems when renewable sources such as hydro power are insufficient. “Having successfully pioneered the system onboard Malizia – Seaexplorer, we have been able to optimise the entire installation around it in the new boat”, noted technical adviser Jesse Naimark-Rowse.

Unlike many other IMOCA teams, Team Malizia’s race yacht is not a billboard for a single brand but instead carries the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals wheel and the team’s slogan, “A Race We Must Win – Climate Action Now”, with the aim of raising awareness and inspiring ambitious climate action. Team Malizia and its six main partners the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, Hapag-Lloyd, SCHÜTZ and KPMG Germany, are united by this common mission which combines sailing, science, education and partnerships.

Designed by JB Epron, the boat’s new black-and-red branding is an evolution of Malizia – Seaexplorer’s and features an intriguing question on the hull: “What’s under your boat?” It is an ode to the question Sylvia Earle first asked Boris Herrmann when they met. Since then, the world-renowned oceanographer and explorer has christened Team Malizia’s research vessel, and the question has also inspired the title of Boris Herrmann’s new book on climate and Ocean topics.

With the OceanPack, a mini-laboratory installed on the team’s previous boats and soon also on Malizia 4, Team Malizia will continue to collect valuable Ocean data such as sea surface CO2, temperature and salinity levels both during races and deliveries. This valuable data, which is scarce in remote places like the Southern Ocean, helps scientists to better understand the role of the Ocean in our climate system.

“The boat, which sails under the Monaco flag, continues to carry the sail number MON1297. It represents the year Francesco Grimaldi, known as ‘Il Malizia’, conquered the Rock of Monaco”, noted Boris Herrmann. “We will celebrate her christening and the 10 years of Team Malizia with the whole team, partners, friends and family on 18 July 2026 in Lorient. It’s going to be another amazing day to share together. Until then and until the delivery to New York mid-August, we will use every single opportunity to go sailing with her and train on this beautiful race yacht.”

Team Malizia will first compete in the crewed Ocean Race Atlantic from New York to Lorient (starting 1st September), before Boris Herrmann takes on the Route du Rhum solo, followed by The Ocean Race with a crew in 2027 (start on 17 January 2027 in Alicante, Spain) and ultimately, Boris Herrmann’s third Vendée Globe in 2028-2029