Team Malizia presents its sailing crew – including two new members – who will compete in the next edition of the most iconic team race in the world, The Ocean Race, starting in January 2023. Not only will they be sailing on the new Malizia – Seaexplorer, a latest-generation IMOCA for this six months round the world race, they will also be spreading the team’s message ”A Race We Must Win. Climate Action Now!“ around the globe.
Team skipper Boris Herrmann, 40, will be joined by co-skipper Will Harris, 28, who has been part of the team since 2019. Will Harris, from the UK, has joined Boris Herrmann in double-handed races like the Transat Jacques Vabre 2019 and has supported the team as a meteorologist and navigator and in technical questions during the building of the new boat. Will Harris worked onshore with the Race Management team during the last edition of The Ocean Race and he can now fulfill his dream of competing in this historic crewed round the world race.
New to the team is Dutch sailor and co-skipper Rosalin Kuiper, 26. After setting her goal to compete in The Ocean Race seven years ago, she has done everything to be ready for the toughest crewed sailing race. She has sailed 55.000 miles – a distance that equals circling the globe more than twice and has successfully participated in iconic races such as the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and last year in The Ocean Race Europe. Before becoming a professional sailor, Rosalin Kuiper competed in athletics at a national level.
Joining them on board is Antoine Auriol, 37. The French/German videographer will document the racing and team activities as the onboard reporter. Antoine Auriol is not only a well-known television personality with several documentary series on French TV, but also a professional sportsman: He is a professional kite surfer and became Kiteboard Pro World Champion in 2010.
With these new sailors, Team Malizia is close to completing its sailing squad for The Ocean Race, starting in January 2023 in Alicante/Spain which will see four sailors and an onboard reporter (OBR) race around the world. Paul Meilhat’s French team Biotherm and American Charlie Enright’s 11th Hour Racing Team join Team Malizia as confirmed IMOCA campaigns for the hardest team challenge in sailing.
With the hiring of onboard reporter Antoine Auriol, Team Malizia continues its successful tradition of publishing videos during races: The clips Boris Herrmann sent during the Vendée Globe have been watched by millions and found fans all around the world. The material will also play a central role in promoting Team Malizia’s mission to inspire ambitious climate action to an even larger audience.
Including the new members, Team Malizia, headed by team director Holly Cova, now has 31 members from 11 different nations. Nearly half of them are women, in accordance with team founder Boris Herrmann’s wish to break new ground and push boundaries on and off the ocean.
Team Malizia is accompanied on this incredible race adventure by its main partners The Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, Kuehne+Nagel, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Hapag-Lloyd and Schütz.