Our Mate Alex Thomson’s Races

[MikeC]

I just watched Alex Thomson on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.  Super interesting. Dude is definitely a bit mad (in a good way).

[Graeme]

Hugo Boss have signed up to sponsor Alex Thomson for another four years.

http://www.thedailysail.com/offshore/13/65779/0/hugo-boss-renews-its-sponsorship-of-alex-thomsons-imoca-campaign

Looks like we'll have another thread on the Vendee in 2016.

[Giles]

And the new deal gives Alex the flexibility to build a shiny new boat from scratch…....Personally, I was amazed at how well he did last time out considering his was an older generation 60.  That handicap really showed when he was in close quarters racing with one of the newer generation boats....

[natehate]

man i have never been into sail boat racing but this thread captivated me
cant wait until the next one

[Giles]

What Alex gets up to next will be released as a vid any minute…...

[Mild7]

That's insane!

[Giles]

Utterly…....

[Giles]

[Snowy]

For some reason I feel like getting a Hugo Boss suit. Also some amazing work by the skipper to get the boat over that far and hold it there.

[Giles]

[Finn666]

BOSS!…

[Giles]

The Out Takes….

[Friday]

AMAZING!!!!

[derivative666]

That's some James Bond shit right there.

[Giles]

Whoops…..

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2014/05/08/hugo-boss-breaks-mast/

[Graeme]

Obviously walking up masts isn't good for them.

Alex will almost certainly have a spare rig lying around. Provided the boat isn't damaged, it shouldn't be a major setback.

[Giles]

Yep he will, but they're taking the boat so it can compete in this:

http://www.sailweb.co.uk/offshore/18802/ocean-masters-new-york-to-barcelona-race

(Alex is not doing it as baby #2 is due soon)

The race starts on 1st June, so I guess it depends where the spare rig is and whether they can get it to NYC in time.

This is the boat that Alex bought off JP Dick that lost it's keel in the last vendee….

[Graeme]

Interview with Alex done by Sailing Anarchy.

[Graeme]

I'm a few days slow in posting this, but Alex has officially announced he's getting a new boat.

For the sailing nerds, it's a Guillaume Verdier / VPLP design, which is very much the flavour of the moment in the IMOCA world.

And looking at this photo, he's already hard at work thinking of what stunt he can do this time!

[Giles]

This is so exciting.  Last Vende (in his "old" boat") he could effectively keep up with the newer generation boats, now he will be playing with a full deck (excuse the pun)…...