With less than one month to go until the start of this year's Vendée Globe, sailors from around the world are busily preparing to claim the bragging rights in this year's edition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Among this group of the world's most experienced skippers, British sailor Alex Thomson is looking to put his frustrations in previous iterations in the race behind him as he looks to go one better in his latest tilt in the Vendée Globe.
Thomson is the reigning runner-up, but he will not be satisfied with anything less than first place this year.
Thomson has had a somewhat complicated relationship with the Vendée Globe ever since first competing in the race. In the Vendée Globe 2004/05 he was forced to retire after damage to the carbon fitting that attached the boom to the deck. He also started the 2008 edition, but had to retire from the race after a cracked hull.
He was finally rewarded for his efforts, finishing third in 2012, and followed that up with a second-place finish in the 2016 race.
Thomson is relishing the opportunity to take on arguably the most challenging solo yacht race's in the world, and the title has consumed his ambition during a difficult year in 2020.
"It's been challenging, for sure," says Thomson. "We weren't able to train on the water for about nine weeks because of COVID, which of course was a setback and something we couldn't have predicted. But all the teams have had that same issue so we're not alone.
"Since we've been back on the water, training has been going really well. I'm happy with how the boat is performing. The developments we've made along the way are delivering some serious performance gains."
His team has completed the final service of its IMOCA 60 racing yacht HUGO BOSS, and will spend the remaining weeks on the water training before departing for Les Sables D'Olonne, France to start the race on Sunday, November 8.
HUGO BOSS underwent a rebuild of their keel area, after striking a UFO (unidentified floating object) and jettisoning their keel during the Transat Jacques Vabre at the end of 2019. Thomson has made clear the team's sole focus over the next few weeks will be maximising their time on the water and optimising the performance on the boat.
"The new HUGO BOSS is a huge step forward from the previous in every way possible. The decisions we've made have made a big difference when I'm sailing single-handed, which is exactly what we've designed the boat for. Our new foils are now in, we've made some structural reinforcements, and we've worked hard to optimise the layout and ergonomics in the cockpit area. This means that now everything I need is within reaching distance in the cockpit, where I should in theory be warmer, dryer and more comfortable, which means I should perform better."
Thomson believes he can get the job done, despite having limited preparation time and choosing not to compete in any of the lead-in races.
"I feel confident in myself, as well as the boat. The decisions we've made are, I feel, the right ones in terms of the design and set up of the boat and everything is working as we had hoped it would. So that's certainly positive."
Thomson knows how tough the race will be, and says at the end of the day, building the right boat is only half the battle.
"I'm expecting it to be brutal. That's the reality. These boats are built for speed, not for comfort. The Vendée is relentless. It's an exercise in self-management from start to finish."
With a sailing career that has notched up more than a few highlights, Thomson still rates a victory in the Vendee Globe on top of that impressive list.
"To have finished the last two editions of the Vendée Globe in third and second place, for us there is only one goal and that is to win. If we were to do that, it would be a lifetime ambition realised for me, certainly, but also for many people within this team."
Jack O'Rourke is a contributor to Ocean Media
CLUB KUDOS
Australian Sailing's Quarter 1 Participation Report has revealed that Newcastle Cruising Yacht (NCYC) has been ranked as the number one club in the country for keelboat participation in their learn to sail programs, a considerable improvement from previous years.
The number of participants to complete training almost doubled that of the next closest club, Darwin Sailing Club.
Additionally, NCYC was ranked in the top ten Discover Sailing Centres nationally based on participation.
"This is a huge achievement for the club, and we are a proud that we can introduce new people to such a fantastic sport," said Sailing Manager Jack Buchan.
GONE TO THE DOGS
Horizon Yachts has launched a custom FD90 motoryacht, commissioned for experienced an owners. The voluminous yacht features a unique three-stateroom layout. The most dramatic departure from the standard FD Series main deck layout is found forward, where the owners specified a large galley/country kitchen configuration in the space normally accommodating an on-deck master stateroom.
Throughout the yacht, accommodations have also been made for the owners' dogs, such as a special window sill ledge in the dinette area to allow the little pups to enjoy their favourite pastimes of watching the world go by.
This FD90 is powered by dual CAT engines with 1,136hp each.