Alex Thomson completed a six-day solo passage onboard his IMOCA 60, HUGO BOSS, finalising his qualification for the Vendée Globe, which begins on 8 November 2020.
“I saw a good mixture of conditions, from 2 knots all the way up to 40 knots, some upwind and some downwind.” he said. “It was a really good test of the boat. There were a few challenges along the way but that’s part of the reason we do the qualification.”
“This was the first time I’ve sailed solo on the boat and, I can tell you, she is a real pleasure to sail on your own. I’ve been blown away by her performance and I’m super happy with the set up. Being inside the cockpit, protected from the elements, is a real game changer, particularly as foiling offshore takes much more of a toll on the body”.
Thomson will be one of more than 30 skippers who will this year compete in the Vendée Globe, which takes place just every four years and sees sailors depart alone from the seaside town of Les Sables-d’Olonne in Western France on a 24,000nm journey around the world.
In order to qualify to compete in the race, skippers must meet certain criteria.
For Thomson, having finished the 2016-17 edition of the Vendée Globe on his previous boat, he was required to complete a 2,000nm passage onboard the new HUGO BOSS, which was designed and built specifically for him to race in 2020.
Having finished the past two editions of the Vendée Globe in third and second place, Thomson and his team are focusing all their energy on securing a victory in 2020-21.
Related Post:
Want to know what it’s like to sail on HUGO BOSS?
A look at the new Hugo Boss from AC75 builder Carrington Boats