Vendée Globe - FLYING AROUND THE WORLD

Alex Thomson talks to Y&Y about the challenges of getting a brand new Hugo Boss to the start line of the Vendée Globe and his hopes of winning the race

- Alex Thomson

It’s been not-so-smooth sailing for Alex Thomson since he was forced to retire from the Transat Jacques Vabre last November – one year out from the start of the upcoming Vendée Globe. Back then, the 4,350nm doublehanded race from France to Brazil saw Thomson’s foiling IMOCA 60 – the latest Hugo Boss – debut in competition, but just days in, a collision with a submerged object left the 4.5m keel dangling, attached only by the hydraulic ram. In trouble, Thomson and his co-skipper, Neal McDonald, had no option but to cut the keel away and limp 800nm to Cape Verde where they were met by their shore team.

The incident had a major impact, as Thomson recalls: “Physically, Neal and I were both quite bruised and battered. We were very lucky not to suffer any major injuries.

“We were both in shock when it first happened but in a situation like that you have to re-group and make clear, sensible decisions quickly. Neal is a very calm person and he’s got so much experience in offshore sailing, so it was certainly good to have him there with me.

“I think in some ways, you’re still in shock for a while after an incident like that but in the ocean you don’t really have the luxury of panicking because you need to have a calm head, communicate properly and make good decisions.”

Adapting for 2020

10 months on and, as he now looks ahead to his forthcoming 24,000nm solo circumnavigation, Thomson comes across as philosophical, his ambition clearly undiminished: “You can’t help but think about what happened, and the fact it might happen again. But, rather like a car crash, you’re in shock but you don’t stop driving a car, do you? You have to get back behind the wheel.