Team Malizia's Boris Herrmann Rounds Iconic Cape Horn in Vendée Globe

Boris Herrmann rounds Cape Horn in the Vendée Globe, unfortunately without seeing the Horn. A digital image must suffice! © Boris Herrmann / Team Malizia

On the 28th of December 2024, at 10:51 UTC, Boris Herrmann of Team Malizia achieved a significant milestone in the Vendée Globe non-stop, around-the-world sailing race. After 47 days, 22 hours, 49 minutes, and 30 seconds at sea, he rounded Cape Horn - his seventh time conquering this legendary landmark. This moment signifies the end of just under a month navigating the treacherous Southern Ocean and marks the beginning of the final sprint toward the finish line.

Cape Horn is the last of the three capes sailors must pass when sailing the Vendée Globe. Towering 425 meters high on the Chilean coast and visible from sea, is the ink-black cliff, greatly anticipated by sailors. "Unfortunately, I can't see the Horn, a great disappointment", said the German skipper who rounded Cape Horn in 7th place, 31 seconds ahead of Paul Meilhat on Biotherm. "However, I am ahead of my goal: the wish I expressed at the start of the race to round Cape Horn before the New Year. I have achieved that, even three days earlier than planned."

Nestled at the southernmost tip of South America in Chile, Cape Horn sits on a continental shelf where the cold Antarctic currents collide with the temperate Pacific. This confluence creates some of the most volatile and unpredictable seas, with winds frequently gusting at over 70 knots. These ferocious conditions have forged Cape Horn's reputation as the ultimate challenge for racing sailors, with its dangers inspiring countless stories of disaster and survival. To avoid becoming the protagonists of such tales themselves, many sailors follow age-old superstitions, like toasting to Neptune, the god of the sea, or piercing their ear on the side corresponding to their direction around the Horn For Boris Herrmann, passing Cape Horn may evoke memories of the 2023 edition of The Ocean Race, where he rounded the Cape in first place after a challenging month in the Southern Ocean. During that leg of the race, his crew faced significant setbacks, including crew member Rosalin Kuiper suffering a head injury from a fall in the bunk and a heroic hours-long team mast repair effort - and they ultimately won the leg.

Race leader, Yoann Richomme onboard Paprec Arkea, was the first to round Cape Horn on Christmas Eve, completing the feat in just 43 days, 11 hours, 25 minutes, and 20 seconds. Close on his heels, Charlie Dalin followed only 9 minutes later. This blistering pace shattered the previous record for rounding Cape Horn, set by Armel Le Cléac'h, by more than four days.

Meanwhile, the competition behind them remains fierce. The pack of racers from fifth place (Jérémie Beyou) to eleventh (Yannick Bestaven), in which Boris Herrmann is tightly nestled, is sailing in close proximity, with all seven boats expected to round Cape Horn today. Among them, Boris Herrmann stands out as the most seasoned sailor in these waters, with six prior passages of the legendary cape under his belt.

With less than 30% of the race remaining, Boris Herrmann is now turning north, signaling the start of the home stretch. Reflecting on recent challenges, he remarked: "The last days in the Pacific were tough - hard work tacking against the wind in really difficult conditions. I'm glad to be done with the Pacific. I've had enough. It was challenging, and I'm done. It was okay, but enough is enough."

However, the Atlantic won't offer much respite. "The next two weeks will be very complicated as we head north, mostly upwind", explains the Malizia - Seaexplorer skipper. "It feels like a slap in the face. The forecast is like, 'Haha, you think you've done the worst, but now we'll show you what can come.' The South Atlantic can be really, really nasty. We've seen that in the last Ocean Race. I need to prepare myself mentally for the next big mountain to climb."

Whilst crossing the longitude of Cape Horn and advancing from the Pacific into the Atlantic, Boris Herrmann explains: "I am ready for something new. For me, this transition will materialise in improved living conditions, which are very complicated at the moment. This should signal a little break - 24 hours of lighter wind conditions - and I am very much looking forward to it. It is much needed, as the South Atlantic will demand a lot from us, with two big low-pressure systems forecast."

In a race like the Vendée Globe, celebrating little as well as big milestones is incredibly important. Looking back, the fleet has had some awful conditions and the speeds show how there must have been little time to rest. So, to celebrate this great milestone, the exit of the Pacific and the 24 hours of calm before the storm, Boris Herrmann will now celebrate with a glass of champagne and a few winks of sleep. "After that, we'll make our way north to the Falklands and further onwards into the challenging conditions we expect starting tomorrow evening."

Team Malizia's A Race We Must Win - Climate Action Now! mission is only possible due to the strong and long-lasting commitment from its seven main partners: MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Hapag-Lloyd, Schütz, the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, and Kuehne+Nagel. These partners band behind Team Malizia to support its campaign, each of them working towards projects in their own field to innovate around climate solutions.