How to follow the start

Fans can catch the start of the race live on Sunday, 29 June 2025 at 14:00 CEST (French time), with coverage broadcast from 13:00 to 15:00 on the French TV channel France 3 and the Course des Caps YouTube channel. From start to finish, Team Malizia will be sharing daily updates across our social media channels and website, including photos and videos captured by our onboard reporter Flore. The race tracker embedded on our website will refresh every hour during the race, and every 5 minutes when the boat is within a 50 nautical mile radius of the start and the finish lines, to keep you updated in real time. For those who want even more, don’t miss the Course des Caps YouTube video series COCKPIT, released in the lead-up to and during the race, with one full episode dedicated to Team Malizia! And if you’re heading to Boulogne-sur-Mer, make sure to visit the Course des Caps website for full details on the boats in the fleet and the Race Village programme, which opened on 24 June.

The Course des Caps

Racing on Home Waters: British Skipper Will Harris Leads Team Malizia Crew Into The Course des Caps

And we race again! After a post-Vendée Globe refit and a spring packed with trainings, Team Malizia is ready to race and eager to be on the start line of the Banque Populaire du Nord Boulogne-sur-Mer Cape Race, also known as Course des Caps. This new event on the IMOCA circuit starts and finishes in Boulogne-sur-Mer, in the north of France. Teams set sail on 29 June 2025 at 14:00 (local time), with a mixed crew of five, including an onboard reporter. The race acts as a qualifier for the Vendée Globe 2028 and counts towards the IMOCA Globe Series championship. Participants are set to cover nearly 2,000 miles around the British Isles, over a period of 5 to 8 days.

Onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer, British sailor Will Harris is skippering Team Malizia’s crew and is excited to return to the lead role onboard. It is not his first time at the helm, having led the Malizia crew during two legs of The Ocean Race 2022–2023. He is joined by co-skippers Cole Brauer (USA), Francesca Clapcich (ITA/USA), and Julien Villion (FRA), as well as onboard reporter Flore Hartout (FRA/NED), all taking part in their first race under the colours of Team Malizia. Will, Francesca and Cole are also set to race in the fast-paced, high-intensity The Ocean Race Europe kicking off six weeks later, while Julien will continue to support the team’s preparations on land. Boris Herrmann has chosen to sit out the race around the British Isles to give the crew a valuable opportunity to train together in full race conditions, especially with Will set to skipper a leg of The Ocean Race Europe. Having already completed a Vendée Globe earlier this year, Boris is now focused on preparing for the upcoming European event.

“The Course des Caps is a great test for the team before The Ocean Race Europe”, explains skipper Will Harris. “It isn't a small journey at all, it's almost the same miles as crossing the Atlantic. It will be a full on race, packed with maneuvers and traffic as we race around Britain and Ireland. As skipper, I feel a big responsibility to keep the boat intact, the crew safe, and lead us to a strong result. We've got a strong team for it, we've done a good bit of training this spring, including coaching with the Pôle Finistère, and we know our boat really well having done The Ocean Race already in 2023. I think it means we can really draw on our experience sailing together as a crew, especially from the European legs we've already done."

The British sailor adds: “This race is special to me personally as it circles ‘my islands’. We’ll be circumnavigating Great Britain where I’m from and it’s cool to see the IMOCA fleet use these familiar waters as a race course. I know them well from learning offshore sailing in the English Channel and the Solent, and racing often towards Ireland, including many Fastnets. I even won the last race around Britain I did, so I hope that experience can give our team an edge.”

For Malizia - Seaexplorer, this marks the first race since Boris Herrmann’s solo circumnavigation in the Vendée Globe 2024–2025 last winter. The boat has since been reconfigured for crewed sailing, with optimisations focused on ergonomics for a five-person team. She now carries a new, flatter spinnaker, new ropes from Gleistein, and features a next-generation hybrid-electric propulsion and energy system from Molabo and Fischer Panda, one of the first of its kind in the IMOCA class. Malizia - Seaexplorer will also be flying on her version 3 foils, the same ones used in Boris’ transatlantic races to and from New York last year.

Along the Course des Caps’ 2,000-nautical mile route, the fleet of 11 IMOCA boats will cross three seas: the North Sea, the North Atlantic, and the English Channel. The boats will sail around more than 6,000 islands, with an emblematic passage through latitude 60°N. Seven trophies will be awarded along the way, marking key points of passage throughout the course. The first boats are expected to finish after 5 to 8 days, depending on weather conditions.

The circumnavigation of the British Isles is a challenging route due to the diversity of challenges it presents. Weather conditions are unpredictable, with strong winds and frequent storms. The route navigates diverse areas, ranging from the open waters of the Atlantic to the narrow passages of the Scottish islands. In addition, sailors must navigate powerful tidal currents, particularly in areas such as the English Channel and the Bristol Channel. Heavy maritime traffic requires extra vigilance to avoid any risk of collision, especially near major trade routes.

“What makes this race unique is the diversity of the course”, explains Will. “Tides will play a big role, especially in the summer when there’s not always a lot of wind and the tides in the English Channel and around northern Scotland get really strong. We’ve been thinking a lot about how to factor that into our strategy. Another challenge is the contrast in conditions: from the lighter winds in the Channel and North Sea to strong lows, short waves, and tougher weather around Scotland and western Ireland. We’ll need to adapt quickly to stay fast and competitive, plus we’re up against top teams, including MACIF, Charal or even Justine Mettraux onboard Teamwork - Team Snef, so the competition will be fierce.”

He adds: “One of the final challenges is the North Sea, along the UK’s east coast. It’s packed with industry, from oil rigs and wind farms to heavy shipping and towed vessels between Scandinavia and the UK. It demands sharp navigation, not just to avoid slowing down, but to keep the boat and crew safe. These man-made obstacles in the Ocean add a whole new layer to the race, something we don’t often face, but in this course, it’s a major factor we can’t ignore.”

During the race, Team Malizia will, as always, carry the OceanPack onboard, an automated laboratory that continuously collect crucial Ocean data such as CO₂ and oxygen levels, temperature, and salinity. These measurements help scientists better understand the Ocean’s vital role in regulating our climate. Beyond the sporting performance, the Course des Caps will be part of a broader dynamic to promote the French region's maritime heritage and raise awareness of environmental issues related to the Ocean. From 24 June, the Quai des Paquebots will be transformed into a village of approximately 20,000 m², a place where sailing enthusiasts and the simply curious can immerse themselves in the world of 60-foot monohulls.

The IMOCA round-the-British Isles record is held by the Artemis-Team Endeavour crew, skippered by Brian Thompson in 2014, with a time of 5 days, 14 hours, and 54 seconds. Will this record be broken during the Course des Caps? How will the Team Malizia crew do? Tune in, get addicted to the race tracker, and follow the action!