Transat Jacques Vabre - Salvage team aboard Hugo Boss ahead of tow

by Sail-World.com NZL on 2 Nov 2015 Alex Thomson and his team are onboard Hugo Boss which is now in a stable situation, after capsizing with her hatches open and being dismasted after suspending racing in the Transat Jacques Vabre.

The IMOCA 60 is undergoing the necessary checks in order to tow her back to La Coruna, Spain, where additional team members are on hand to assist with the pending arrival.

The rig has been removed and the water onboard pumped out, allowing the racing yacht to be towed. The weather conditions have enabled Alex Thomson Racing to complete a swift response to the emergency situation which occurred yesterday. The yacht is currently situated 100 miles offshore. The crew will remain onboard to make the necessary checks to ensure a safe tow through the night.

Technical Director Ross Daniel commented: ‘I am proud of our team considering the potential severity of the situation. Of course it’s disappointing we have had to retire from the race. But this year’s Transat Jacques Vabre has provided the fleet with challenging conditions, forcing seven IMOCA’s to retire. As a team we now need to focus on getting Hugo Boss safely through the night and then assess the situation once she is alongside tomorrow.’

Hugo Boss is one of several foiler Mono60's which have been forced out of the Trans Atlantic race from Le Havre, France to Itajai, Brazil. The race was being used as a sea-trial ahead of next years Vendee Globe solo, unassisted round the world race.

Hugo Boss had initially elected to suspend racing to effect some minor repairs at sea, after she started the 3,300nm race with just eight days of sea-trialling. In the face of a worsening weather forecast, she then elected to return to port and receive assistance from her shore crew.

The forecasted wind and sea caught up with Hugo Boss as she was returning to port and she was capsized by a rogue wave, being rolled completely and stuck in an inverted position with her hatches open and in a serious situation. Her quick thinking crew activated the keel canting mechanism to right the boat, but when she came upright, she was dismasted and with a lot of water aboard.

As a precautionary measure the crew were taken off by helicopter, and returned in daylight with a tug and their support crew to pump the water out of the boat, secure the remains of the boat and and tow her to shore.

It is not known how long repairs will take but an Open 60 BT which had her deck and coach house smashed during the 2009 Transat Jacques Vabre was salvaged and rebuilt over a six month intensive re-building program in Cowes, Isle of Wight. She was much more badly damaged that is expected to be the case with Hugo Boss.