Team Malizia Was Born on a Monaco Kart Track
- Romy Kraus
- Jul 18
- 4 min read
The moment Boris Herrmann and Pierre Casiraghi hit the gas on a sailing empire
Boris Herrmann doesn’t just sail—he vanishes into the ocean for months, alone, with no backup and no second chances. Twice. As the only German to ever finish the Vendée Globe—the world’s wildest, most punishing solo sailing race—he’s not just steering boats, he’s steering the future of ocean racing. Born on Germany’s North Sea coast, Boris swapped the Olympic dream for something more radical: building a high-tech, climate-powered sailing brand from scratch. He’s partnered with princes, survived pirate waters, and teamed up with Greta Thunberg. But the real flex? Doing all of this while turning sleep deprivation, extreme weather, and planetary data into a business model. He sits down for the OMR podcast to take a deep dive.
The Lowdown
Only 146 people have completed the Vendée Globe. Everest? 7,600. Space? 742.
Boris has done it twice—2020 (5th, despite crash), 2024 (12th). That’s ~80 days alone, no stops, no outside help.
Former sports econ student turned ocean racer—sponsorships, strategy, survival.
From youth sailing to building Team Malizia with Monaco royalty and climate activists.
10-minute naps, full-throttle strategy, 24/7 risk management.
Business model: max 7 sponsors, zero fluff—Zurich Insurance, EFG Bank, KPMG, plus major media play.
Futureproof: solo races, crewed regattas, ocean research, branded content, talent development.
Mission always on: Climate Action Now.
“Cruising is easy. Racing for 80 days straight? That’s something else.”
Vendée Globe is no vibe trip. You’re alone, sleep-deprived, freezing, flying across the ocean with no lifelines. No rescue choppers, no pit stops. Just your boat, your brain, and the next wave.
“Out there, there’s no helicopter coming. It’s too far.” – Boris Herrmann
“Olympic sailing is rigged by money.”
Forget the podium dreams—unless you’ve got millions and a federation behind you. Boris skipped the elitist rat race and took the long way round—literally.
“If you’re moderately talented... Olympic sailing is tough to make work.” – Boris Herrmann
“Beluga said: Look sharp. Win. Don’t die.”
One handwritten pitch. One wild investor. One pirate rescue mid-Indian Ocean. Somehow, that turned into a full-blown pro sailing career.
“We’re doing this—whatever it is.” – Beluga founder
Monaco, Maserati & Malizia
He went from sailing with Maserati to go-karting with Nico Rosberg. Then came Team Malizia—launched with a prince, branded like Formula 1, and built to win offshore.
“We’re starting Team Malizia. Boris, you’re in charge.” – Pierre Casiraghi
“Vendée Globe is the Formula 1 of the ocean”
Held every four years. No pit stops. 80+ days solo. It's France's Superbowl, but wetter and way more brutal.
“7,600 on Everest. 742 in space. 146 have done the Vendée Globe.” – Boris Herrmann
Sailing with a Climate Agenda
Not a gimmick. Real data. Real missions. Real change. Onboard sensors track CO₂. He brought Greta across the Atlantic emission-free. Mangrove replanting in Africa? That too.
“Sailing is already the symbol of the energy transition.” – Boris Herrmann
This Career Doesn’t End at 35
Forget retiring after a few big races. Boris is building a machine—content, climate, crewed expeditions, and solo glory. All of it under one team.
“We want this team to exist beyond me.” – Boris Herrmann
Boris Herrmann – Timeline of a Relentless Sailor
1981 Born in Oldenburg, Germany. Grew up near the North Sea, where sailing quickly became more than just a hobby.
1990s Starts sailing Optimists as a kid. Dives into the German regatta scene, leveling up through youth classes.
2000s Studies economics with a focus on sports management, while continuing to race offshore. Begins carving a path into pro sailing, choosing independence over the heavily funded Olympic route.
2008 Launches his first major campaign with the Beluga Racing Team—thanks to a cold email and a bold pitch to an adventurous logistics CEO. Begins his professional offshore racing career.
2009–2010 Wins the Portimão Global Ocean Race (double-handed) with co-skipper Felix Oehme—becomes the first German to win a global ocean race.
2012–2013 Attempts a transatlantic record with Giovanni Soldini on Maserati. Enters the fast, high-stakes world of speed sailing and elite ocean records.
2016 Partners with Pierre Casiraghi, the sailing prince of Monaco. Together, they launch Team Malizia, blending high-performance racing with climate science and next-gen branding.
2019 Sails Greta Thunberg across the Atlantic, emissions-free, to the UN Climate Summit in New York. Malizia’s mission—A Race We Must Win: Climate Action Now—goes global.
2020–2021 Enters his first Vendée Globe. Finishes 5th despite hitting a fishing boat 90 miles before the finish. Spends 80 days alone at sea. Becomes a household name in sailing and beyond.
2022–2023 Builds a new cutting-edge IMOCA with Malizia. Launches a new Vendée campaign and joins The Ocean Race—bringing science and media missions along for the ride.
2024 Finishes his second Vendée Globe, placing 12th. Adds another 80+ solo days at sea to his logbook. Establishes Team Malizia as a serious contender with an integrated media, science, and racing model.
2025 Prepping for the next big chapter: science missions in Antarctica, talent development, content expansion, and a third Vendée Globe campaign on the horizon.
2026–2028 Focus on long-term strategy: Vendée Globe #3, dual-team expansion, science-based expeditions, and growing the business side of Team Malizia into a self-sustaining sailing ecosystem.
