Boris Herrmann is back in Northern Hemisphere and reaches new milestone in the Vendée Globe

Home stretch for Boris Herrmann in the Vendée Globe © Ricardo Pinto / Team Malizia

This Monday evening, Team Malizia's skipper Boris Herrmann crossed the Equator and returned to the Northern Hemisphere, ticking off one of the last milestones along the Vendée Globe race course.

Sailing over the virtual line in 9th place, the German sailor stays focussed on the 3,200 nautical miles remaining and the battle to break into the top five.

Team Malizia's Boris Herrmann crossed the Equator yesterday evening, on 13 January 2025 at 23:32 UTC, after having raced 64 days, 11 hours, 30 minutes, and 30 seconds in the Vendée Globe 2024-2025. This significant milestone marks the final leg of his journey in the solo, non-stop, unassisted, round-the-world race, which has taken him across the Equator into the Southern Hemisphere, past three major capes (Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn), past the remote Point Nemo, and again across the Equator back into the Northern Hemisphere.

"We're passing the Equator, under a beautiful moonlight", Boris Herrmann said in his toast to Neptune, a tradition for sailors as they sail across the imaginary line. "And therefore, I serve you. A bit of rhum to the boat, a bit of rhum to the Ocean. To a good Northern Hemisphere, please! I'll give you an extra one if you let me through with less trouble! All right, Malizia, here we go, Northern Hemisphere! First night that it's decent here. We just accelerated. Cheers everyone!"

Since entering the Southern Hemisphere on November 22, 2024, Boris Herrmann has spent 52 days navigating its challenging waters. After racing over three-quarters of the Vendée Globe with minimal issues, the past week had been challenging for the German solo sailor who faced an arbalète issue, a nearby lightning strike which damaged several systems onboard, and a broken J2 hook, which prevented him using his most important headsail. Far from being discouraged, Boris Herrmann managed two mast climbs despite his fear of heights, successfully repaired both his rigging issues, and brought crucial systems back to life.

Even though that led him to losing some nautical miles and to now sail in 9th position, the Malizia - Seaexplorer skipper is in good spirits and stays focussed on what lies ahead. Now, with 3,200 nautical miles remaining, he is on the home stretch to Les Sables d'Olonne. Despite Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) having won the race this morning and impressively breaking the race record by over 9 days, the competition remains intense. Boris Herrmann is fully focused on the final push, aiming to improve his position and potentially break into the top five.

This Sunday afternoon, Boris Herrmann had also crossed his own wake from earlier in the Vendée Globe, completing his loop in the Southern Hemisphere. On top of that, Malizia - Seaexplorer has now logged over 100,000 nautical miles since her launch - an amazing achievement for Team Malizia, with their boat having now sailed the equivalent of over 4,5 laps around the world.

While the end of his second Vendée Globe is near, Boris Herrmann remains determined, embracing every mile with the same grit and passion that has carried him through this remarkable race. He is showing no signs of slowing down as he pushes through this final stretch, fighting for every nautical mile until the finish.

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: Zurich Group Germany, Kuehne+Nagel, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Hapag-Lloyd, Schütz, the Yacht Club de Monaco, and EFG International. 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.

Watch the video sent by Boris Herrmann during the Equator crossing here: