Team Malizia welcomes Cole Brauer as co-skipper and looks forward to six thrilling months ahead
by Team Malizia 20 Feb 18:06 UTC
Team Malizia looks forward to six thrilling months ahead and kicking-off the 2025 crewed season © Jean-Marie Liot / IMOCA / Team Malizia
From welcoming US solo sailor Cole Brauer as co-skipper to preparing for a crewed racing calendar filled with firsts, the next six months promise to be particularly exciting for Team Malizia. With new challenges on the horizon, including The Ocean Race Europe, the team is gearing up for another intense season of offshore racing and Ocean advocacy.
Following Boris Herrmann's successful completion of his second Vendée Globe, Team Malizia is gearing up for an action-packed six months, featuring an ambitious racing calendar, exciting team updates, and continued efforts in Ocean science and education. With Malizia - Seaexplorer undergoing a refit to transition back into crewed mode, the team is looking forward to the busy 2025 season.
Cole Brauer, Team Malizia's new co-skipper
A major addition to the team is Cole Brauer, who joins Team Malizia as co-skipper, alongside skipper Boris Herrmann and co-skipper Will Harris. Cole Brauer made history as the first American woman to race solo nonstop around the world, finishing second in the 2023-2024 Global Solo Challenge aboard her Class40 First Light. Her journey was not only a feat of endurance and skill, but she also captivated the public, bringing the adventure and challenges of solo offshore racing to a new audience. Her achievements have redefined what is possible in the sport, inspired countless sailors and fans worldwide, and have earned her the prestigious Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year 2024 award. Over the past months, Cole Brauer has been mentored by Boris Herrmann through The Magenta Project.
"Becoming part of Team Malizia is truly a dream come true," says Cole Brauer. "Today is actually my last day on First Light, which I've sold, and it also marks the start of a new chapter as co-skipper with this great team I've gotten to know over the past year. The first time I experienced foiling on Malizia - Seaexplorer was in New York last year. The feeling was unbelievable! Now, I get to race on this amazing boat, bring my own experience to the team, and fully join the Malizia family. I'm so excited to learn from this remarkable group of people and take part in exciting races of the IMOCA circuit."
"Cole is a truly talented sailor and her journey aligns perfectly with our mission to push boundaries and inspire people", Boris Herrmann comments. "Sailing solo around the world on an old and tricky Class40 is an incredible achievement. She's inspiring, determined, and brings a fresh perspective to our team. While I had the chance to mentor her, I actually ended up learning a lot from her. I'm excited to race alongside Cole and Will this year, and to take on new challenges together!"
New races on the horizon
With this new addition to the sailing crew, Team Malizia is pleased to announce its participation in the Course des Caps, a new event on the IMOCA circuit starting and finishing in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. The race will set off on 29 June 2025 with a mixed-gender crew, including an onboard reporter, and will count towards the IMOCA Globe Series championship. The competitors will cover nearly 2,000 nautical miles around the British Isles over a period of 5 to 8 days. This race will kick off the crewed racing season and will be the first race onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer since the Vendée Globe, with the crew to be confirmed in the next months.
Soon after rounding the British Isles, the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) and Team Malizia sailors will embark on a historic first in the Admiral's Cup. Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), the Admiral's Cup is one of the world's most prestigious sailing competitions. Making its grand return after an absence of over two decades, the race will take place from 17 July to 1 August 2025, in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. The competition attracts the world's elite sailors for a demanding series of inshore and offshore races, including the legendary Rolex Fastnet Race. The Yacht Club de Monaco will write a new chapter in its sporting history, competing for the first time in the event, with Team Malizia playing a key role in this challenge. The Monegasque team will field two boats: the TP52 Jolt 3, skippered by Peter Harrison, a YCM member, in the IRC Big Boat class, and the Carkeek 40 Jolt 6, helmed by Pierre Casiraghi, Team Malizia founder and Vice-president of the Club. Team Malizia's Boris Herrmann, Will Harris, Cole Brauer, and Oakley Marsh will be part of the Monesgasque crew.
Tacking On The Ocean Race Europe
As this summer promises to be one of many firsts, Team Malizia is particularly thrilled to take part in The Ocean Race Europe for the first time. Following their experience in the round-the-world race in 2023, the team is looking forward to the shorter format in European waters. The second edition of The Ocean Race Europe will set off from Kiel on 10 August 2025 and conclude six weeks later in Boka Bay, Montenegro. Under the banner of "Connecting Europe", it will take the fleet of IMOCA boats from the Baltic Sea, through the North Sea and English Channel, into the Atlantic, and finally through the Mediterranean to the Adriatic.
Boris Herrmann says: "I'm really excited about The Ocean Race Europe 2025. While I love the challenge of racing solo, there's something truly special about racing with a crew. I'm looking forward to being back on board Malizia - Seaexplorer with a great team, each member bringing their own strengths and motivating us to improve and push our limits." He adds: "I'll be skippering our great boat and when I'm not on board for certain legs, Will Harris will take over as skipper, as he did on two legs of The Ocean Race. He's a talented sailor, a strong leader, and knows this boat like the back of his hand. He'll do a brilliant job pushing both the boat and the crew. A particularly exciting addition is having Cole Brauer as co-skipper. As for the rest of the crew, including sailors and media man/woman, we've got some exciting prospects lined up, which we'll announce this spring."
For Boris Herrmann, the hugely successful Fly-By in Kiel on the penultimate leg of The Ocean Race 2022-23 was a special moment. On their way to rounding the turning mark in the Kieler Fjord, Boris Herrmann and his Team Malizia were escorted by an incredible amount of spectator boats and tens of thousands of people cheering from the shoreline. The German skipper had the chance to race for the first time in his home country onboard his new IMOCA race yacht. Back then, he compared the emotions created by the Kiel Fly-By to the passage of Cape Horn.
"We are all really happy and excited to have The Ocean Race Europe starting in Kiel this year!", says the German sailor. "Kiel feels like home to me and I grew up sailing there over the years. It's also home to Geomar and our science partners. This will be an amazing chance for the public to come and meet the team, see the boat and get in touch with our My Ocean Challenge education programme in 2025. For me, our team, and our partners, this will definitely be a highlight and we can't wait to compete in the race!"
Combining sailing, science, and education
While constantly striving to perform at their best on the water, Team Malizia is equally dedicated to raising awareness about the Ocean and climate change through their A Race We Must Win - Climate Action Now! mission. Their My Ocean Challenge education programme has reached over 80,000 children worldwide, sparking curiosity about the Ocean, marine life and its vital role in the global climate system through the adventure of sailing. Thanks to the support of the Prince Albert II Foundation and the Dorit and Alexander Otto Foundation, all educational resources, including a booklet, newsletter and YouTube series, are available for free and in many languages for students and educators to engage with.
In exciting news, Team Malizia is partnering with UNICEF to promote children's rights and environmental protection through a digital lesson organised around this year's World Ocean Day. On 18 June 2025, students are invited to join in person or virtually for a special kids' event at Hamburg's Deichtorhallen art museum and livestreamed on Zoom. Aimed at children aged 8 to 12, the event will be held in German, with more details on timings, sign-ups, and attendance to be announced soon.
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: Schütz, the Yacht Club de Monaco, EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, and Kuehne+Nagel, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, and Hapag-Lloyd. 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.