Vendée Globe: Boris Herrmann across the finish line

At 10:19 UTC of 28 January 2021 Boris Herrmann crossed finish line of the Vendée Globe 2020, bringing to an end his 81-day experience and reaching the 5th place overall.

At 10:19 UTC of 28 January 2021 Boris Herrmann crossed finish line of the Vendée Globe 2020, bringing to an end his 81-day experience and reaching the 5th place overall.

At 19.50 hrs UTC on Wednesday, the German skipper had a collision with a fishing boat, which resulted in multiple damages to Seaexplorer, but Boris himself was unharmed. From this moment Herrmann could only proceed at a reduced speed, losing any chance to get on the podium. 

Nevertheless this finish still is an amazing result for the German skipper, who splendidly conducted this first attempt at the Vendée Globe.


Together with Boris Herrmann and his boat “Seaexplorer – Yacht Club de Monaco”, a new, more responsible and eco-friendly approach to navigation crossed the finish line. 

The Monegasque Imoca 60 is a prime example of sustainability (it is no coincidence that it Greta Thunberg chose it to cross the Atlantic in 2019) since it fully relies on renewable energy - hydro generators and solar panels – for its onboard equipment.

The solar system on board Seaexplorer is a tailor-made project by Solbian, an Italian company specialized in manufacturing flexible solar panels for boats. The fruitful collaboration between Solbian and Team Malizia is already at its second year with a design realized by the company’s Austrian partner Sailectron.

1249 Wp of photovoltaic modules have been integrated into the coachroof and sides of the hull, providing electric energy to power the onboard equipment. 

Zero carbon emissions during operation and the compensation of all other emissions with Team Malizia’s Mangrove park project make Seaexplorer an extremely eco-friendly boat, setting a new benchmark in the racing scene.