Germany’s Boris Herrmann confirms his new VPLP design and build for 2024 is under way

Germany’s Boris Herrmann, who finished fifth on the recent ninth edition of the Vendée Globe, has confirmed that he will have a new boat for the 2024 race.   

He is in the advanced design stages and has started the formative building processes of a new of a VPLP designed boat which he says will have a much more rounded bow shape and will incorporate as many sustainable materials in its build as can be used safely while remaining competitive. He expects the new boat to launch early next summer to be ready to compete in the crewedThe Ocean Race in October 2022-23   

Following the massive media success of his race Herrmann and the Yacht Club de Monaco flagged Team Malizia were quick to sign two new major partners increasing their core sponsor family to seven, insurance giants Zurich Germany joining the fold as have German composites group Schütz.   

Team Malizia now have five year partnerships with Hapag-Lloyd, Zurich Group Germany, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, EFG, Yacht Club de Monaco and Kuehne+Nagel. 

Herrmann said that the choices of the new boat’s designers and builders follows very much in the successful wake of the previous, super reliable Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco, like his previous IMOCA being built at Multiplast in Vannes with North Sails and engineering by Gurit.   

“We sailed more than 75,000 nautical miles in preparation for the Vendée Globe, so much, much more than the race itself and that served us well. We had one of the most reliable boats out there with no major breakdowns, well pretty much. And so that is our plan to do as much sailing as possible and make the boat as strong and reliable as possible. We cannot sail enough.”   

“To have finished on top of the IMOCA Globe series and to have finished all 13 races tells a story but it is maybe less obvious that there were more than 50,000 man hours put into the boat and the shared passion of all of our team over four years, all of our positive exchanges with our partners over these years.” Said Herrmann at his Press Conference today attended on line by over 80 media, the majority of them from his native Germany.   “

The boat will have a more rounded bow, a more rounded shape like a scow so that the bow is not stopped in the waves.” Herrmann opened.   

Herrmann aims to have his new boat launched in just over one year’s time to be ready to compete in The Ocean Race    We will have an extended interview with Boris Herrmann next week   

www.vendeeglobe.org   

Cover photo © Boris Herrmann / Seaexplorer - YC de Monaco