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Boris Herrmann

We compete on the highest level in the toughest races, inspire action & create awareness and highlight solutions to the climate crisis.

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Boris Herrmann, skipper of Team Malizia, deployed a weather buoy northwest of Cabo Verde this afternoon while racing in the Vendée Globe. The scientific instrument will drift with the Ocean currents and measure data crucial for weather forecasting predictions and climate change monitoring. Boris Herrmann and his team have continuously carried scientific equipment onboard their IMOCA racing yacht since 2018, and are one of the top contributors of Ocean data in this year’s Global Carbon Budget, one of the key publications in climate science.

 - While competing at the highest level in the toughest offshore races, 

 have a mission to further scientific research, raise awareness for Ocean protection, and inspire ambitious climate action. This was particularly evident today as the 

 skipper was sailing on Day 8 of the iconic 

. As he was racing against his 39 competitors northwest of Cabo Verde, Boris Herrmann deployed one of the eight 

 in the race, just south of 21°N this Tuesday afternoon at 14:00 UTC.

“With our team, we have deployed several weather buoys and other instruments like Argo floats numerous times in the last years, including the previous Vendée Globe, The Ocean Race, the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023, and The Transat CIC this spring” says the 

. “These buoys are very important for meteorology but also for climatology.”

 adds: “Hopefully today we are once again making a useful contribution to science and better understanding climate change, as well as improving weather and climate models!” Just after signing “There’s no planet B”, “Malizia”, “Climate Action Now!”, and his name, Boris Herrmann deployed the buoy: “Ok, let’s get this overboard! Cheers, bye bye, bring us good measurements!” Facing the camera, he concluded: “Science mission accomplished!”

The drifter buoys float with the Ocean currents, and record temperature, surface currents, and atmospheric pressure data. 

 explains: “Atmospheric pressure can’t be measured by satellites and drifter buoys are among the few tools available to obtain this information. This is why deploying them is crucial for accurate weather forecasting and climate change monitoring.” 

About 1,300 drifter buoys are currently deployed worldwide, with approximately 230 buoys in the North Atlantic where the IMOCA fleet is racing in the first week of the Vendée Globe 2024-2025. Several hundred new buoys need to be deployed each year to meet up the requirements of the WMO and ensure a minimum level of quality in weather forecasting. This drifter buoy deployment in this race is coordinated through UNESCO, the Vendée Globe, the IMOCA class, Météo France, and OceanOPS.

 adds: “The data collected by the drifter buoys also improves vessel routing, helping to reduce environmental impacts. Boris was one of the pioneers among IMOCA skippers to deploy these buoys. In the Vendée Globe 2020-2021, he was one of only three sailors to do so. We are pleased that he has continued to do so over the years. It is great to see that more and more sailors are now doing the same.”

Alongside Boris Herrmann, who has also been running the 

 since 2018, four other skippers will deploy weather buoys in an area with scarce observations between the Canary Islands and Cabo Verde. Two other skippers will deploy a different type of weather buoy near Cape of Good Hope and near Madagascar. In total, a record-number of 25 skippers are carrying scientific devices in this 10th edition of the race: OceanPack, Argo float, drifter buoy, planktoscope, weather station…

Raising awareness for Ocean and climate protection through the adventure of sailing is printed in Team Malizia’s DNA and their 

, which is supported by their seven main partners. "Like in every race, delivery or training we do, I also have the OceanPack onboard”, explains the 

. “This automated laboratory very precisely measures Ocean CO₂ concentrations, temperature and salinity data. By now, we’ve gathered one of the largest accessible datasets, which is freely available for scientists to use to better understand the role of the Ocean in the climate system.”

Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research

 (AWI), is one of the scientists analysing 

. She says: “I am thrilled to be working closely with Team Malizia. The data they collected has already made an impact, with CO₂ measurements from The Ocean Race feeding directly into the 2024 Global Carbon Budget – one of the key publications in climate science. The preprint was published three days ago and this is vital to understand the Ocean’s role in absorbing carbon and buffering our climate. 

 is even one of the top contributors on the Ocean data side this year!”

Earlier this year, the importance of even a single measurement campaign by 

 in one race was also highlighted in the peer-reviewed journal 

. Scientists demonstrated that the data collected by Team Malizia’s racing yacht 

 when estimating the Ocean carbon sink and fills essential measurement gaps, particularly in under-sampled regions such as the Southern Ocean. 

concludes: “This partnership between science and sport exemplifies the spirit of climate action and exploration. I can’t wait to see the discoveries ahead as we race not only to the finish line, but for the future of our planet.”

A Race We Must Win – Climate Action Now!

mission is only possible due to the strong and long-lasting commitment from its 

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

Thumbnail YT Drifter Buoy Deployment - Vendée Globe 2024-2025

A link to track the drifter buoy will be available tomorrow on Team Malizia's website

Team Malizia's skipper signed the drifter buoy before deploying it this afternoon in the Vendée Globe 2024-2025

Team Malizia's skipper signed the drifter buoy before deploying it this afternoon in the Vendée Globe 2024-2025 © Boris Herrmann / Team Malizia

This is not Boris Herrmann's first deployment of scientific instruments, he has been doing so since 2018

This is not Boris Herrmann's first deployment of scientific instruments, he has been doing so since 2018 © Boris Herrmann / Team Malizia