The renowned sensor manufacturer ifm and the international offshore racing Team Malizia, led by skipper Boris Herrmann, announce their technical partnership focussed on advancing data-driven offshore racing technology.

Team Malizia and German industrial automation specialist ifm have entered into a technical partnership focused on innovation and performance in offshore racing. As part of the collaboration, ifm is equipping Team Malizia’s newest IMOCA racing yacht with advanced sensors that deliver real-time insights into key onboard systems. The aim is to support performance optimisation and safety at sea, while demonstrating the capabilities of ifm's sensor technology. Together, the partners show that precise, stable and reliable data acquisition and availability are possible even under the most extreme conditions.

Team Malizia’s IMOCA yacht is currently entering the final stages of its build and is expected to launch at the end of June. Sensor systems are already being installed and will be tested in real conditions shortly after launch. The system includes multiple types of sensors across different areas of the boat, measuring a wide range of parameters. One key application is pressure sensors used to precisely monitor the volume of water in the ballast tanks, a factor that directly influences boat balance and performance.

“We find with the forward and aft ballast tanks the sailors can have gains in performance by not using the entire volume of the tank and knowing exactly how much is in the tank allows them to tune this amount for optimum performance,” says Team Malizia technical adviser Jesse Naimark-Rowse.

Another key development is the implementation of ifm’s innovative radar sensors. Through this technology, Team Malizia will be able to monitor the flying height and attitude of their new IMOCA. This capability of using multiple robust and accurate radar sensors on the foiling platform has potential to give the team a significant performance boost. “As the IMOCA boats become ever faster and flight is possible in an increasing range of conditions, the data acquisition and analysis of the flight behaviour is a critical factor”, explains Jesse Naimark-Rowse. “Access to innovative technology such as the ifm R1D100 radar sensor, combined with the expert technical support from the ifm teams during integration, is a real game changer.”

Further sensor applications are being integrated across other systems on board, with additional development planned in the coming years. These include areas linked to energy management, sustainability and safety.

All the ifm sensors on board will transmit data to ifm’s moneo Cloud platform in real time. Pre-processed directly within the onboard system, the data can be reliably transmitted even in the most remote parts of the world and under extreme offshore racing conditions. This demonstrates how sensors operating in highly remote environments can still provide shore-based teams with access not only to live data, but also to active analytics.

On board, the sailors benefit from accurate real-time insights to better understand and optimise the boat’s performance. For the shore team, the continuous stream of data provides valuable material for debriefing and post-race analysis, allowing them to assess the IMOCA’s performance and reliability and begin developing improvements before the boat even reaches the dock.

The technical partnership will support Team Malizia’s racing programme over the coming years, including The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026, The Ocean Race 2027, and ultimately preparation for the Vendée Globe 2028 campaign. Under real-world extreme conditions, this collaboration delivers valuable insights for the continuous sporting development of Team Malizia and marks another significant step towards sustainably strengthening ifm's technological leadership.