“The boat is performing really well. It feels like we’ve made some very good design decisions”. Since returning to the water, Alex and the crew have completed a further 4,000 offshore training miles on HUGO BOSS. We’re impressed with the boat’s performance and pleased to see that some of the big decisions we made – particularly in relation to the set up and ergonomics - are paying off. With those miles our under belt – and Alex’s qualification for the Read More
Alex Thomson completes qualification for Vendée Globe 2020
Less than four months out from the 2020 edition of the Vendée Globe, Alex Thomson has officially secured his place on the starting line. Thomson completed a six-day solo passage onboard his IMOCA 60 race boat, HUGO BOSS, finalising his qualification for the Vendée Globe, which begins on 8th November. “I saw a good mixture of conditions, from 2 knots all the way up to 40 knots, some upwind and some downwind." he said. "It was a really good test of the boat. Read More
HUGO BOSS returns to the water
Alex Thomson has returned to the water onboard the new HUGO BOSS, the boat which he hopes will lead him to victory in the 2020 Vendée Globe. Thomson and his team – much like their competitors in the IMOCA class – were unable to train on the water for some 9 weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the easing of lockdown restrictions in England, however, the team have been able to return to the water to commission the yacht, before re-commencing their Read More
Alex’s 8 tips to help you ‘go it alone’
Words of Positivity
Alex Thomson becomes patron of schools’ marine curriculum
Alex Thomson has been named Patron of Marine and Maritime curriculum for the Gosport and Fareham Multi Academy Trust (GFM). The new Marine and Maritime curriculum, set to be introduced to schools from September 2020, will combine water-based activities such as sailing, kayaking, sea swimming and paddle boarding. The curriculum developed will also include the teaching of marine and maritime engineering, design, branding and marketing within the industry, Read More
Alex Thomson Racing Update: HUGO BOSS Repair
Upon arrival from the Cape Verde Islands, HUGO BOSS was moved to Southampton. There, a full NDT (non-destructive testing) of the boat was carried out in order to assess the damage sustained during the Transat Jacques Vabre. We can now confirm that, as suspected, the damage is contained to the keel area. The rest of the hull, the foils and rudders are undamaged. Following the NDT, our Composite team began working to cut away the damaged parts of the Read More
Alex Thomson and Neal McDonald arrive safely to the Cape Verde Islands onboard HUGO BOSS
This morning (Friday 8th November 2019), shortly after 08:00 UTC, British skippers Alex Thomson and Neal McDonald arrived safely into the Cape Verde Islands onboard the HUGO BOSS yacht. The skippers, who had been racing in the 4,350 mile double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre race from Le Havre, France to Salvador, Brazil, were forced to retire from the race when their IMOCA 60 race boat, HUGO BOSS, hit an unknown object submerged in the water. The incident, Read More
Alex Thomson Racing Update: Transat Jacques Vabre
Alex and Neal are safe and making good progress onboard HUGO BOSS. They are now around 300 miles away from the Cape Verde Islands, sailing with caution at around 10 knots. They have both managed to get some sleep and are focused on getting safely to land. Members of the Alex Thomson Racing technical team have arrived in Cape Verde and are preparing for the boat’s arrival. Further members of the team will make the journey in the coming days in order to meet Read More
Alex Thomson Racing Update: Transat Jacques Vabre
Together with Alex and Neal, our technical team has today been evaluating a number of different options. The decision has been made that the safest course of action is for the skippers to sail to the Cape Verde Islands, around 800nm away from HUGO BOSS’ current location. Alex and Neal are currently sailing at up to 7 knots in light winds. They will continue to sail cautiously in a south easterly direction to the Verde Islands. With the current weather Read More
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