Alex Thomson's words to the finishers
"I hope you were as riveted last night that I was, with the decided winners for the Vendée Globe. Huge congratulations to Yannick Bestaven, what an amazing race he's had on Maître Coq...!"
•••At just 25 years old, British skipper Alex Thomson became the youngest round the world race winner, when he conquered the Clipper Race 1999, a record which still stands today. It was here that Thomson’s love of competitive ocean racing was really born.
Thomson has gone on to become one of the world’s most recognised solo offshore sailors, breaking multiple records and achieving countless accolades along the way.
Today, the British yachtsman holds the solo and crewed 24 hour distance records, achieved onboard his IMOCA 60 ‘HUGO BOSS’ yacht. Thomson’s greatest achievement to date came in 2017 when he finished the 2016-2017 Vendée Globe in just 74 days, 19 hours, 35 minutes, breaking the British record along the way. Having finished the last two editions of the Vendée Globe in third and second place respectively, Thomson is targeting victory in 2020-2021.
A committed team
Alex Thomson Racing is one of the most ambitious, forward thinking teams in offshore sailing. The team's long-standing partnership with HUGO BOSS has demonstrated just what can be achieved when a brand is prepared to think big, and an athlete is prepared to go even bigger. The team's ultimate goal? To become the first British team to conquer the Vendée Globe.
In doing so, they seek to create a lasting legacy for the sport of sailing in Britain. As a professional sports team, Alex Thomson Racing is committed to ensuring that its activities have the lowest negative impact on the environment, and the greatest positive impact on society. The team is dedicated to operating in a responsible, sustainable way. Working with its partners, suppliers and stakeholders, Alex Thomson Racing has its own Sustainability Action Plan.
In addition to its sustainability agenda, Alex Thomson Racing also supports a number of charities and community organisations. One of these organisations is Oarsome Chance, a charity which skipper Thomson is a proud Patron of. The unique organisation aims to bring about positive change for disadvantaged people between the ages of 9-19 on the south coast of the UK, where the Alex Thomson Racing team is based. Through a combination of vocational skills training – including boat building, carpentry and canvas skills – as well as dry and water rowing activities, Oarsome Chance seeks to inspire, motivate and upskill young people who are in some way disengaged from mainstream education. Along the way, it is hoped that the charity’s young participants will find a passion in the activities they take part in, and begin to carve out a potential career path for themselves. In less than two years, Oarsome Chance – with much needed help from its partners - has worked with more than 1,500 children across the local community in a bid to help them connect to a brighter future.
2019: Transat Jacques Vabre - Retired
2018: Route du Rhum- Destination Guadeloupe - 3rd
2018: Crewed 24 hour world distance record: 539.71nm
2017: Solo Record distance over 24 hours: 536.8nm
2017: Rolex Fastnet Race - 8th
2016-17: Vendée Globe - 2nd
2016: Transat NY - Vendée - 3rd
2015: Transat Jacques Vabre - Retired
2014 : Barcelona World Race - Retired
2013: Rolex Fastnet Race - 3rd
2013 : Vendee Globe - 3rd
2012: Atlantic crossing record : 8d 22h 08'
2011: Transat Jacques Vabre - 2nd with Guillermo Altadill
2011: Transat B to B - 4th ex aequo
2008: Vendée Globe - Retired
2007: Record distance over 24 hours: 501 miles
2007: Barcelona World Race - 2nd with A. Cape
2004: Record distance over 24 hours: 468 miles
2004: Transat Jacques Vabre - 2nd with Roland Jourdain
Name | HUGO BOSS |
---|---|
Sail number | GBR 99 |
Architect | VPLP - Pete Hobson |
Construction | 2019, Carrington Boats |
Former names | |
Length | 18,28 m |
Beam | 5,40 m |
Draught | 4,50 m |
Weight | 7,6 tonnes |
Mast height | 29 m |
Mast type | Wing mast |
Foils | Yes |
Sail area max. | |
Upwind | 330 m2 |
Downwind | 630 m2 |
"I hope you were as riveted last night that I was, with the decided winners for the Vendée Globe. Huge congratulations to Yannick Bestaven, what an amazing race he's had on Maître Coq...!"
•••Alex Thomson today departed from Cape Town, South Africa to begin the 6,500nm journey back to the UK onboard his HUGO BOSS boat.
•••After arriving in Cape Town on Friday, December 4, Alex Thomson (HUGO BOSS) looks back on his damage, his retirement and the recent racing experiences of his competitors.
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