After 80 days at sea, German skipper Boris Herrmann crossed the finish line of the 2024/25 Vendée Globe on Wednesday night, securing 12th place in what proved to be a brutally challenging solo race around the world. The Yacht Club de Monaco sailor, backed by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II and Pierre Casiraghi, had entered the race as one of the favourites, but a series of technical failures and punishing conditions derailed his podium ambitions.
Herrmann, racing aboard his latest-generation Malizia-Seaexplorer, had been tipped for a top finish after his impressive fifth place in the previous edition of the race. However, from the early stages, he struggled to keep pace with the front-runners. After a difficult Atlantic descent, he staged an impressive comeback in the Southern Ocean, closing in on the top five despite foil adjustment issues. But as the home stretch approached, his campaign unraveled.
The setbacks began stacking up: on Friday, January 10, a J2 sail hook failure slowed his charge. Just days later, on Thursday, January 16, disaster struck when Herrmann collided with an unidentified floating object, possibly a marine animal, damaging his port foil beyond repair. With his boat compromised, he fought on, but his fortunes took another hit in the final days. A massive storm in the Bay of Biscay forced him to ease off, and just hours before reaching the finish line in Les Sables-d’Olonne, his mainsail tore.
Despite the adversity, Herrmann and his Malizia-Seaexplorer completed the 29,201-nautical-mile race at an average speed of 15.13 knots (28 km/h). His arrival at 11:18 p.m. was far behind race winner Charlie Dalin, who had finished 16 days earlier, but his determination and resilience in overcoming relentless challenges were widely praised.