Please select your home edition
Edition
Allen Dynamic 40 Leaderboard

Transat Jacques Vabre – The new Hugo Boss

by Alex Thomson Racing on 22 Oct 2015
Hugo Boss IMOCA 60 Mark Lloyd http://www.lloyd-images.com
2015 Transat Jacques Vabre – British sailor Alex Thomson will get the first opportunity to put his brand new, multi-million Euro racing yacht to the test when he sets sail in the two-handed (TJV, part of the Ocean Masters Championship later this month. Alex will be competing alongside his Spanish co-skipper, Guillermo Altadill, as they look to better their second place finish from their last outing in this transatlantic race.

The TJV starts from Le Havre in France on Sunday 25th October and will end approximately three weeks later in the Brazilian city of Itajai, south of Rio de Janeiro, once the boats complete the 5,400 nautical mile journey across the Atlantic, crossing the Doldrums.

There are four classes in this year’s edition of the TJV, with Alex and Guillermo competing in the IMOCA class against 19 other yachts. With four other brand new IMOCA’s lining up on the start line for the first time, this will be the first opportunity for the Alex Thomson Racing Team to see how the new HUGO BOSS compares to the competition as they prepare for the start of next years’ ‘ultimate’ offshore sailing challenge, the Vendée Globe. Often referred to as the ‘Everest’ of sailing, the Vendée Globe is a solo, unassisted, round-the-world yacht race that takes place every four years and is one of the most gruelling challenges in the world of sport. It has only ever been won by a Frenchman, but Thomson has his sights firmly set on becoming the first Briton ever to win the race.

Thomson’s new racing yacht has been over two years in the making and incorporates a number of new innovations that the team hope will give them the competitive advantage. The new HUGO BOSS is five percent lighter than the team’s previous racing yachts and includes several totally unique design features.

World renowned industrial designer, Konstantin Grcic, has worked with the Alex Thomson Racing Team on the VPLP/Verdier designed HUGO BOSS racing yacht. Grcic, whose work forms part of the permanent collections at both the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and the Pompidou Centre in Paris, has assisted in the aesthetic finish of HUGO BOSS and the ergonomic design of part of the interior of the yacht.

Speaking about the new yacht and the TJV, Alex said; “This is the first time that our new HUGO BOSS will be going up against other racing yachts of its type. It is therefore our first opportunity to find out whether it is comparatively fast or slow, and also to see how she performs from a reliability point of view.”

“The TJV, from France to Brazil, is essentially the first 5,400 nautical miles of the Vendée Globe. We’ll be making our way out of the English Channel, across the Bay of Biscay, down to the equator and in to the trade winds of the Southern Hemisphere as we make our way to Brazil. We’ll be lining up at the start against all of the other big IMOCA teams, all of whom will be taking part in the Vendée Globe next year, so it’s a really big test for us in terms of our performance and endurance capabilities.”

Alex and Guillermo last took part in the Transat Jacques Vabre together four years ago, when they finished in a time of 16 days and nine hours and secured second spot on the podium.

In Thomson’s last Vendée Globe attempt he finished third, setting a British record for the race in the process.
MySail 2025Vaikobi 2024 DecemberVetus-Maxwell 2021 v2 FOOTER

Related Articles

Cape Horn Hall of Fame nominations close by 30 May
Public nominations open for just a little longer The International Association of Cape Horners (IACH) is calling for nominations for new inductees to the Cape Horn Hall of Fame.
Posted on 22 May
America's Cup: Emirates Team NZ respond
Emirates Team New Zealand has responded to the statements sent overnight (NZT) Emirates Team New Zealand has responded to the statements sent overnight by two Challenger teams calling for more transparency in the negotiations over the Protocol and venue for the 38th Match.
Posted on 22 May
World Foiling Congress 2025 concludes
Event attracted top industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders The second edition of the World Foiling Congress took place this week at Palazzo della Borsa in Genova (Italy), attracting top industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders from across the global Foiling Community.
Posted on 22 May
J/70 UK Grand Slam 2 at Royal Southern Yacht Club
7 races for the North Sails May Regatta Having suffered through some tough conditions in Grand Slam 1, the forecasts were looking hopeful for the second event of the UK J/70 Season. As we got closer to the event it was anyone's guess as to how the racing would pan out.
Posted on 22 May
6mR Worlds return to Seawanhaka Corinthian YC
Oyster Bay and Long Island Sound are renowned as some of the best sailing waters in the world Founded in 1871 and located on Oyster Bay, New York, SCYC is America's oldest yacht club and its association with the Sixes goes right back to the class's foundation in 1907.
Posted on 22 May
Steering the Course kicks off to #AccelerateAction
World Sailing's global women's sailing festival gets under way soon The 2025 edition of Steering the Course, World Sailing's global women's sailing festival, gets under way on 23 May with a week-long focus on #AccelerateAction in support of this year's International Women's Day theme.
Posted on 22 May
Solo McIntyre Mini Globe Race - 18,000 miles to go
Pirates, squalls, and paradise found The McIntyre Mini Globe Race fleet has officially fallen under the spell of the South Pacific—a place where dreams of palm-fringed beaches collide with the reality of torrential rain, viscous squalls, Loud lightening, questionable dinghy landings.
Posted on 22 May
Hyde Sails Flying Fifteen Video Tuning Guide
Ben McGrane explains how to get the most out of your B1 mainsail with B1 or 2H jibs Hyde Sails release new detailed video guide for tuning the Flying 15 for use with the B1 mainsail with B1 or 2H jibs.
Posted on 22 May
NYYC American Magic team statement
Concerns over transparency and cooperation necessary to secure a fair Protocol Over the past seven years, we've competed with pride, purpose, and perseverance in two editions of the America's Cup. It has been an honor to represent the New York Yacht Club and the United States on the global stage.
Posted on 22 May
Athena Racing concerned over 38th AC transparency
Around the recent announcement of a Host City for the Cup in 2027 Athena Racing, representing Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd. as Challenger of Record for the 38th America's Cup, is concerned by the ongoing lack of transparency around the recent announcement of a Host City for the Cup in 2027.
Posted on 22 May