Hugo Boss battles harsh conditions on final leg

by Alex Thomson Racing on 12 Feb 2008 Alex (Thomson) and Capey, (Andrew Cape) today passed through the final scoring gate of the Barcelona World Race and re-entered the Mediterranean Sea at 0810 GMT.

With a little over 400 miles left to the finish line off Barcelona, HUGO BOSS lies in a comfortable second place, around 700 miles ahead of third placed Temenos 2. Alex and Capey are expected to finish late on Wednesday 13th February, around 48 hours after the race leader Paprec Virbac.

HUGO BOSS' passage through the Straits of Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean Sea was by no means easy, as Capey explains: 'Last night we had the worst conditions we've seen in the entire race. We had 50 knots of wind on the nose, and the sea state was unbelievable. The weather has abated now though and we are looking at a pretty straightforward weather picture between now and the finish.'

With the finish very much in sight, Alex commented: 'Capey and I cannot wait to reach Barcelona, have some proper food, a couple of beers and a warm shower. All our friends and family will be waiting for us on the dock, so we are doing everything we can to get there quickly and safely. We have both really enjoyed this race, and I personally have learnt a huge amount. This was the first round the world race for the new HUGO BOSS and we are extremely pleased with how she has performed. I very much look forward to unleashing her for the Vendée Globe in November this year.'