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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:

      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

      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • 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!

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          • 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

            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • 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.

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                        • 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…

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

                                      This is fucking epic…

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

                                        Well, if the Fat Lady isn't singing, she's certainly warming up in the wings…

                                        Armel is about sixty miles from Les Sables d'Olonne, with Alex another hundred behind him. Barring a last minute mishap, and they do happen, I think that the race has its winner.

                                        I wonder if Alex will be back again next time. There are rumours that the next generation Volvo Ocean Race and Vendéé Globe boats will be 68' (nearly 21 metres) long, and foil stabilised. We'll probably hear in a couple of months, once the dust has settled from this event. Maybe that'll tempt him into another attempt. 😛

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                                        • GilesG
                                          Giles
                                          IHUK Crew
                                          Joined:

                                          Oh well, Armel did it in the end…..

                                          "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:

                                            Looks like Alex is going again in 2020…

                                            http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/18347/thomson-talks-of-2020-vision

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