When Team Malizia rounded Cape Horn with the lead in leg 3 of The Ocean Race, not only did they pass the iconic landmark with an important lead, but they added their names to a list of legends in winning the Roaring Forties Trophy.  

The trophy is perhaps the most interesting in the race, forged from a series of ever larger oval silver shapes, it looks like it could be a broken spar from the early days of the Whitbread Round the World Race, and with an Albatross - the symbol of the Southern Ocean - flying above a tormented ocean. 

According to author, photographer and sailing historian Barry Pickthall, the trophy was commissioned by the Royal Naval Sailing Association in 1973 for the boat setting the best time on handicap across the Southern Ocean from Cape Town to Cape Horn. in 1974 it was presented to Ramon Carlin, the skipper of the winning boat in the 1973-74 Whitbread Round the World Race, Sayula II. 

© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia / The Ocean Race

Since the end of corrected time racing, the trophy is now awarded to the team with the fastest time between the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn.

Up until now, that has meant combining partial times on at least two race legs to get a result. 

But in the 2022-23 edition of The Ocean Race, leg 3 is the longest in the history of the event, and for the first time the teams passed all three great Capes - Good Hope, Leeuwin, Horn - in one go. 

© Sebastien Pinkham / The Ocean Race

In winning the Roaring Forties trophy, skipper Boris Herrmann adds his name and that of Team Malizia, to the impressive list of legends and icons who have previously won the trophy.

Malizia is the second German team - joining 2001-02 race winner illbruck - and Herrmann becomes the first German skipper, to claim the Roaring Forties Trophy.

Herrmann reflected on his fifth passage of the iconic Cape: "A short moment in the grey south but a big step for Team Malizia! It passes so quickly - we almost feel disturbed at first from our cocooned world that has settled upon us over the past weeks! The moment of cheering together to the camera arm in arm with this iconic rock behind releases a string of emotions for me and for all of us. The Horn looked beautiful today and after a few minutes it disappeared in the grey fog again! Back to our cocoon but elevated onto a new level."

© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia / The Ocean Race

Previous winners of The Roaring Forties Trophy:

1973-74 -- Sayula II - skipper, Ramón Carlin
1977-78 -- Flyer - skipper, Cornelis van Rietschoten
1981-82 -- Ceramco New Zealand - skipper, Peter Blake
1985-86 -- Philips Innovator - skipper, Dirk Nauta
1989-90 -- Steinlager 2 - skipper, Peter Blake
1993-94 -- Intrum Justitia - skipper, Lawrie Smith
1997-98 -- EF Language - skipper, Paul Cayard
2001-02 -- illbruck - skipper, John Kostecki
2005-06 -- ABN Amro One - skipper, Mike Sanderson
2008-09 -- Ericsson 4 - skipper, Torben Grael
2011-12 -- Groupama Sailing Team - skipper, Franck Cammas
2014-15 -- Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing - skipper, Ian Walker
2017-18 -- Dongfeng Racing Team - skipper, Charles Caudrelier

Peter Rusch

www.theoceanrace.com

Cover photo © Sebastien Pinkham / The Ocean Race