When you live on the shores of the Solent, you can hardly avoid a life on the sea. Alex Thomson is certainly no exception to the rule. At the age of 25, he won the Clipper Round the World Race 1999, becoming the youngest round the world race winner ever.

In 2003, Alex broke the world distance record, which he then broke again in 2007. He then launched onto the solo racing scene, but his first two round the world attempts were met with frustration when structural failure of his yacht forced his retirement in the Vendée Globe 2004 and his dramatic rescue in the Velux 5 Oceans Race 2006.Alex then went onto victory in the 2008 Barcelona World Race, securing a 2nd place. It was after this he set his sights firmly on becoming the first Briton to win the world’s toughest sailing challenge; the solo 26,000 mile non-stop Vendée Globe Ocean Race. However, only 3 weeks before the start, Alex’s boat was dramatically struck by a fishing vessel. His team fought against the clock to finish the repairs in record time to achieve the impossible – and get Alex to the start line. Alex’s dreams were shattered after only 3 days when he discovered HUGO BOSS was letting in water. In 2011 Alex acquired a new 60 race boat, which he has been racing to great success. Then in 2012 July he sensationally broke the west to east Transatlantic record by over 24 hours where it now sits at 8 days, 22 hours and 8 minutes. But the young Englishman has his sights firmly set on the Vendee Globe and is determined that this edition is where he will realize his dream: to become the first British skipper to win this legendary race.