Please select your home edition
Edition
C-Tech 2021 SnuffAir 728x90 TOP

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

by Sail-World.com NZL on 2 Nov 2015
IMOCA Hugo Boss, skippers Alex Thomson (GBR) and Guillermo Altadill (ESP), leaving docks during the Transat Jacques Vabre start on october 25, 2015 in Le Havre, France - Photo Vincent Curutchet / DPPI Vincent Curutchet/DPPI
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.

RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERLloyd Stevenson - AC ETNZ 1456x180px BOTTOMPalm Beach Motor Yachts

Related Articles

2025 Transat Café L'OR is packed with surprises
73 boats sailed by 146 co-skippers will set sail on October 26th 73 boats sailed by 146 co-skippers will set sail on October 26th on the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR Le Havre Normandy.
Posted today at 7:20 am
The Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue is back at sea
Peter Burling joining the team for the Rolex Fastnet Race After a refit that began in March, the Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue was relaunched this Thursday, July 3. Lined up for the months ahead is an exciting race programme, culminating this year with the Transat Café L'Or in October.
Posted today at 5:14 am
Transpac's Middle fleet sets off for Diamond Head
Seventeen boats begin the 2,225-mile Pacific Crossing in light air conditions Seventeen boats begin the 2,225-mile Pacific Crossing in light air conditions in Transpac's second start.
Posted today at 2:39 am
GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D4
High stakes for semi-finalists as the final four teams in each division are locked in The third day of racing at GKSS Match Cup Sweden saw the completion of the quarter-final match-ups in both the Open and Women's class, locking in the final four teams in each division for Friday's semi-finals.
Posted on 3 Jul
2025 29er Europeans at Lake Garda Day 1
Five teams tied at the top Ikke Huber / Liam Berger (Switzerland) lead the charge after sweeping all 3 races in the Green fleet — an impressive perfect score of 2 points. Lucas & Moritz Hamm, the dynamic twin duo from Germany, matched their Swiss rivals with consistency and pace.
Posted on 3 Jul
Onboard reporters in the Course des Caps
Enjoying the challenge of bringing the race to life In the Course des Caps - Boulogne sur Mer - Banque Populaire du Nord, the Onboard Reporters, or OBRs, are back doing a wonderful job of bringing IMOCA racing to life with pictures, videos, interviews and reports from the boats.
Posted on 3 Jul
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais Day 2
Consistent American Magic Quantum Racing move clear ahead American Magic Quantum Racing stepped three points clear at the top of the 2025 Rolex TP52 World Championship leaderboard today in Cascais, Portugal on the strength of a first and third from two breezy races.
Posted on 3 Jul
505 UK Nationals at Weymouth
Michael Sims and Carl Gibbon hold back Howie Hamlin and Andy Zinn Apart from one 'stumble' in Race 7, the two leading boats were almost invisibly tied together to the point that after 8 races, they were tied on points.
Posted on 3 Jul
Robert H. Tiedemann Classics Regatta concludes
A triumphant start to the Classic Yacht Challenge Series The 2025 Robert H. Tiedemann Classics Regatta, hosted by the New York Yacht Club, delivered a spectacular start to this year's Classic Yacht Challenge Series.
Posted on 3 Jul
Unforgettable Transatlantic Race 2025 finish
First to arrive was Ocean Fifty Calamity, co-skippered by Timo Tavio and Kimo Nordström. It was rush hour in Cowes on Day 15 of the west-to-east Transatlantic Race 2025, as boats crossed the finish line in Cowes within minutes of each other after an epic 3,000-mile battle for top honors in IRC 1.
Posted on 3 Jul