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    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

    Our Mate Alex Thomson’s Races

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    • GilesG
      Giles
      IHUK Crew
      Joined:

      Alex is now on starboard tack, therefore his remaining foil is coming into play.  Result:  He is now in the lead and slowly pulling out the gap…..Come on boy......

      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • GraemeG
        Graeme
        啓蒙家
        Joined:

        The French navy has nothing better to do than hang out in the Southern Ocean, and shoot footage of racers in the Vendée Globe. 😉

        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • GilesG
          Giles
          IHUK Crew
          Joined:

          The French Navy has never had much better than that to do…...

          But seriously, I am surprised that Frigate could keep up....

          "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • GraemeG
            Graeme
            啓蒙家
            Joined:

            There's an interesting snippet on the front page of Sailing Anarchy.

            The biggest wildcard for the internationalization of the Vendee Globe comes from outside the race, and we hear Mark Turner, the Keith Mills/OSM contingent, and a number of different designers and builders are hard at work to determine the feasibility of the ‘Joint Strike” foiling IMOCA/Volvo Ocean Race 68-foot concept for the 2019 Vendee/2020 VOR.  With OSM getting somewhat lukewarm worldwide buy-in of the Ocean Masters Series concept since its inception, the combined power of OSM, Boss, and the Volvo could really tip the international balance of IMOCA racing.  You won’t have to wait long to find out where that one’s going, and we’re on the edge of our seats along with everyone else who loves ocean racing.

            Sir Keith Mills is the financial backer of Alex Thomson Racing, and owner of Open Sports Management (OSM), which handles the commercial rights for the IMOCA class.

            Mark Turner founded Offshore Challenges, along with a certain Dame Ellen MacArthur, and it grew into a sports management company. He's since resigned from them, and is now in charge of the Volvo Ocean Race.

            The Volvo Ocean 65 is a similar design to an IMOCA 60, but is slightly larger (65 versus 60 feet in length), and designed for crewed racing. It's a one design class, whereas the IMOCAs are mostly open, the current rule stipulates a standard mast and keel.

            There has been talk of running the Volvo Ocean Race in IMOCA 60s, rather than using its own class, but it wasn't followed through because it's a crewed event, whereas the Vendée is solo. But with Mills and Turner running the race organisations, I think that there's a good chance it might happen.

            Plus a bigger, foiling boat would be cool. 😃

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            • GilesG
              Giles
              IHUK Crew
              Joined:

              After a period in the Southern Ocean when Alex was nursing his boat in very tough sea and weather conditions (you don't want to break anything at all, when the nearest help is the guy out front or the guy behind you - and even they are 3-4 days away), he has rounded cape Horn and has put he hammer down.  A week or so ago, he was 800 miles behind Armel, now he is 130…..Come on boy......

              http://tracking2016.vendeeglobe.org/hp5ip0/

              "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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              • GilesG
                Giles
                IHUK Crew
                Joined:

                74.7…..

                "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • AetasA
                  Aetas
                  見習いボス
                  Joined:

                  This Race is a very good way to introduce my under 10 kids to the world.
                  They ask nearly every day for Alex´s position.
                  (Perhaps I am pushing it a bit ;D.)
                  They like the Japanese competitor most, because of his funny video eating seafood!

                  Turning around Cape Horn, A. is getting on fire! Starboard time!

                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • GilesG
                    Giles
                    IHUK Crew
                    Joined:

                    I'm hoping when I wake up tomorrow, that he is in first position….

                    "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                    • GilesG
                      Giles
                      IHUK Crew
                      Joined:

                      @Aetas:

                      This Race is a very good way to introduce my under 10 kids to the world.
                      They ask nearly every day for Alex´s position.
                      (Perhaps I am pushing it a bit ;D.)
                      They like the Japanese competitor most, because of his funny video eating seafood!

                      Turning around Cape Horn, A. is getting on fire! Starboard time!

                      Brilliant…...

                      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • GilesG
                        Giles
                        IHUK Crew
                        Joined:

                        After Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss appears to have completed one of the biggest comebacks ever in the history of the Vendéee Globe, reducing his delta to 28 miles this Friday morning from over 800 miles last Friday, his rival Armel Le Cléac'h has found a light easterly breeze and is now moving away from the British skipper who was making just over three knots.

                        Go find some more wind Alex…...

                        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                        • SeulS
                          Seul
                          Joined:

                          farts in Alex' general direction

                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • GilesG
                            Giles
                            IHUK Crew
                            Joined:

                            He's doing 1.2 knots at the mo, that may well help….

                            "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • SeulS
                              Seul
                              Joined:

                              I'm vegetarian - by now he's probably across the finish line trying to stop his boat from shooting past Jupiter…

                              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • GraemeG
                                Graeme
                                啓蒙家
                                Joined:

                                @Seul earlier.

                                I know that he's Belgian, not French, but they're all foreigners, and hence the same, to us post-Brexit Brits. 😛

                                But go Alex!

                                Meanwhile Stéphane Le Diraison, who's sailing the a previous Hugo Boss is moored up in Melbourne after losing his mast. I'll have to get down there to take a look.

                                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • GilesG
                                  Giles
                                  IHUK Crew
                                  Joined:

                                  98 miles behind….........And closing....

                                  "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • GilesG
                                    Giles
                                    IHUK Crew
                                    Joined:

                                    121 miles behind the leader with 1,800 to go…........

                                    "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • AetasA
                                      Aetas
                                      見習いボス
                                      Joined:

                                      1205 NM to the finish and only 88,5 NM behind Armel Le Cléac'h.
                                      Alex is always a litle bit faster on Starboard the he last few hours.
                                      They pass the Azores soon.
                                      I can feel mounting excitement towards the end of the race.

                                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • GraemeG
                                        Graeme
                                        啓蒙家
                                        Joined:

                                        And Alex just beat the 24 hour IMOCA record, with 536.8 miles covered… 😃

                                        Officially this time, rather than the unofficially because he was less than a mile ahead of Gabart's 24 hour run.

                                        It looks like it'll be a fast finish to the race. There's not far to go, so fingers crossed that Alex can outrun Armel on the final leg.

                                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • GraemeG
                                          Graeme
                                          啓蒙家
                                          Joined:

                                          Alex is now 36 miles behind Armel, with 330 miles to go.

                                          It's going to be close…

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                                          • SimonS
                                            Simon
                                            Joined:

                                            His wind instrument has gone down, so his autopilot won't work, which means he hasn't slept for two days! He's about to cross one of the worlds busiest shipping areas in the dark, this last sprint to the finish is going to be really tough.

                                            Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities - Frank Lloyd Wright

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