Barcelona World Race 2014-15 - They are off!
by Alex Thomson Racing on 1 Jan 2015
The Barcelona World Race 2014-2015. Picture from the race start today - Hugo Boss IMOCA Open 60 skippered by Alex Thomson (GBR) with Co skipper Pepe Ribes (ESP). Lloyd Images
Barcelona World Race 2014-15 - Alex Thomson and Pepe Ribes round the first mark in the Barcelona World Race 2014-2015. The Barcelona World Race kicked off today at 13.00 with Hugo Boss crossing the start line in first place as they head off to sail around the planet, non-stop unassisted.
Alex Thomson and Pepe Ribes are Skippering ‘Hugo Boss’ an IMOCA 60 designed by VPLP. Together Thomson and Ribes will be at sea for up to 90 days. The course is from Barcelona to Barcelona with the sailors racing the fastest route approximately 26,000 nautical miles (46,300 km) via three capes. Cape of Good Hope off the South African coast, Cape Leeuwin south of Australia and the infamous Cape Horn at the most southern tip of South America, three major landmarks as they race around the world.
Thomson and Ribes will have to contend with extreme weather conditions, sea states and it is unlikely they will see land for the three months they will spend at sea together. Thomson and Ribes goal is to win the BWR, Thomson says 'In order to finish first, first you must finish.'
Today all the preparation and planning for the last four years has placed Hugo Boss as one of the favourites to win the third edition of the Barcelona World Race 2014-2015.
Stewart Hosford, Alex Thomson Racings Team CEO, said ‘ All of the teams planning and hard work in preparing the boat for the race makes me very confident about the results we could potentially achieve in the Event website
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