Our Mate Alex Thomson’s Races

Graeme

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.

Graeme

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

It's going to be close…

Simon

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.

Seul

This is fucking epic…

Graeme

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.

Giles

Oh well, Armel did it in the end…..

Graeme

Looks like Alex is going again in 2020…

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

Giles

Bumped into Alex in the gym today. Basically over a 2.5 month race, his large muscles atrophy, so he's bulking up. I'm meeting him at the pub tonight where he is giving a little speech etc. His first question to me was, "Are you going to get hammered tonight? I'm not sure whether to or not"…....

That's the sort of training I can help him with.....

Giles

Well, if Alex can raise the sponsorship, he is going to do it again in 4 yers. I suspect the sponsorship deal is effectively already sorted - but he's being a little coy…

Plan will be to sell the current boat as it's worth a lot because it is so fast (he reckoned like for like he was 2 knots faster than the French in most winds), but he wants a new boat built learning from his design mistakes on the last one and of course being completely up to date with the new rating IMOCA 60 rating.

Graeme

There's an IMOCA class meeting in a month or two to discuss rules, and I think that I posted earlier that there are rumours that it might be shared with the Volvo Ocean Race. If it's a big shakeup, then selling now, and building anew is a very good plan.

But I expect Alex to be back. It sounds like he's got unfinished business.

Giles

Alex wants to be in a position to start the design and build directly after that meeting. He said last night, that he does not believe the changes will be that radical, but he does not want to risk keeping the old boat. For instance to move the position of the foils, which he thinks will be a requirement, will cost him $1.4million….. Feckin' OUCH....

Armel apparently was a gibbering wreck at the finish, Alex hounding him for best part of 50 days and never really being able to shake him off and thus relax, really got to him....He won't be in the next Vende ::)

Graeme

The Volvo Ocean Race organisers have just announced their new rules, and they're going for an IMOCA derived one-design boat designed by Guillaume Verdier. He, in conjunction with VPLP, is responsible for all of the new generation of Open 60s.

So rather than going up a size, both events are sticking to 60 footers. Probably makes sense as the cost of a boat increases rapidly with length, the Volvo can resell its fleet to IMOCA racers, and it preserves the value of the Open 60s.

I haven't heard what's changed with the IMOCA rules. I don't think that it's anything major.