FLYING AROUND THE WORLD
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
