Hugo Boss

Alex Thomson's Hugo Boss is currently leading the two-handed Transat Jaques Vabre race.



British offshore sailor Alex Thomson, along with his Spanish co-skipper Guillermo Altadill on-board HUGO BOSS, is currently leading the Transat Jacques Vabre race.

Currently around a quarter of the way through the 4,730 mile race from Le Havre to Puerto Limón, Costa Rica, the fleet is heading directly into two severe storms, where the winds are expected to reach around 50 knots.

Leading the fleet of IMOCA 60s, made up of predominantly French competitors, Alex and Guillermo have taken a tactical decision to continue with their routing almost directly West to provide them with the best opportunity to maintain their lead over the fleet over the coming days.

Speaking from the boat Alex Thomson said: “Considering Guillermo and I have not sailed this boat very much together before, we are very happy with where we are. The rankings show us in first place, but really we have to wait and see how the strategies play out. Generally we are happy that we have managed to sail well in the leading pack, and that was what we wanted to do, to stay in contention. We have made a few mistakes, nothing major, and we have had a few problems on board but nothing that is stopping us from going fast. We are just trying to play it cool, not do anything stupid, play it cool, just through this storm and head for the sunshine.”

The race is expected to last around 15 days in total with competitors arriving in Puerto Limón from around November 16. One of the classic Open 60 events, the two-handed race is part of the sailors' build-up to the iconic singlehanded Vendee Globe Race, due to start in November 2012. Alex Thomson will be aiming to fulfill his long-held dream of becoming the first UK skipper to win the Vendee Globe.