President Steinmeier Sails with Team Malizia on Board Malizia Explorer at Kieler Woche

Team Malizia had the honour of welcoming German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and a high-level delegation on board Malizia Explorer on the first day of Kieler Woche this Saturday 20 June 2026. As we headed out onto the Kiel fjord to follow the racing, we also shared insights into our Antarctic expeditions, onboard science and our mission to connect sailing, science and Ocean protection.

This past Saturday, Boris Herrmann and our Team Malizia had the honour of sailing with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender, Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister-President Daniel Günther and his wife Anke Günther, as well as Kiel’s Mayor Dr Samet Yilmaz and his wife Hatice Yilmaz on board our research vessel Malizia Explorer, accompanied by our flying GC32 catamaran Malizia 1. Around 30 people of this high-level delegation joined our team as we went out into the Kiel fjord on the first day of Kieler Woche. With Malizia Explorer closely escorted by police boats throughout the outing, the visit brought a level of security quite different from our usual days at sea and naturally attracted plenty of attention and curiosity along the busy waterfront.

In bright sunshine and light winds, our special guests followed the racing action on the water, with commentary from Kieler Woche Race Director Dirk Ramhorst. On board, the delegation learned more about the Malizia Explorer, her expeditions to Antarctica, and the importance of science communication in making research tangible and inspiring people to protect the Ocean. Local scientists were with us as well and explained the research and instruments onboard in more detail. We also spoke at length about how we bring together sailing, science, education and partnerships through projects such as the My Ocean Challenge and the Malizia Mangrove Park.

“It was a great experience to show the delegation around and there was, of course, a wide range of topics we could talk about today”, commented Boris later that day. “First of all, there was Kieler Woche itself: what it is about, how the racing works, the different classes, the race courses, and who was leading. We were able to watch the racing live in fantastic conditions, with Kiel really showing itself at its best.”

“At the same time”, he added, “we also spoke about the itinerary of Malizia Explorer, which has just returned from Antarctica, what we have been doing, how the boat works, and how we collaborate with scientific institutes such as Hereon, whose scientific director Oliver Zielinski was on board today, and GEOMAR, which is based just here by the Kiel fjord. So there was a great variety of topics to discuss, all of which were of real interest to President Steinmeier. I think it was a fabulous day to open Kieler Woche together, and again it was a great honour for us to have everyone on board.”

Boris also said: “At one point we had the sails up and there were a few gusts of wind. I was wondering whether the boat might heel too much and whether the drinks would spill over us, but in the end it was actually perfect. We could even see our foiling Malizia 1 catamaran flying past. There was just enough wind to show some good racing, while the conditions stayed light enough for a very enjoyable meeting on board.”

A highlight of the day happened while the boat was under sail, President Steinmeier and his wife Elke even took the helm of the 86-foot Malizia Explorer themselves. “It was very sweet to see the President and his wife steering the boat together”, said Boris. “At one point they each pulled in a different direction on the wheel, which made us all laugh, so it was a really lovely encounter today and a great way for us to kick-off the 144th Kieler Woche.”

To round off the visit, we also gifted Malizia jackets to the President and First Lady, the Minister-President and his wife, and the Mayor and his wife as a Team Malizia keepsake from a very special day on the water. With summer temperatures in Kiel that day, the jackets stayed tucked away for now but we hope to spot them wearing them on another occasion.

Later that day, President Steinmeier also reflected on his time on board Malizia Explorer during another Kieler Woche event, highlighting how Boris and the team collect valuable data for climate and Ocean protection during races and expeditions. Thanking Boris and his crew for their commitment, the President said that Boris “is not only in search of sporting challenges, but also helps bring home to us how important it is to protect the living world of our Ocean.”