Major setback for Vendée leader Alex Thomson. The starboard foil of his "Hugo Boss" has broken off as a result of a collision with an unknown object. The incident occurred in the South Atlantic. Thomson intends to provide further details when the wind and swell allow a closer inspection and he can get a better impression.
Thomson reported from on board on Saturday: "We had a fast night where the boat achieved high average speeds and was super uncomfortable to sail. I had the foil in by 30 per cent that morning and sailed the boat quite conservatively in the increasing winds. At 9.35am UTC I was below deck trying to sleep. The boat was sailing in 22 knots of wind with a J2 and one reef in the mainsail. We were sailing at an average speed of 24 knots when I heard a huge bang." Thomson immediately came on deck, reefed the mainsail and realised that there must have been a collision with an unknown object ("UFO").
Thomson slowed his boat down and waited for more moderate conditions for a closer inspection of the "Hugo Boss": "I didn't see anything in the water, but it felt like the boat had wrapped itself around something. That damaged my foil quite significantly. I was instructed to inspect the inside of the boat. So far I haven't been able to find any structural damage. At the moment I'm still sailing and will continue the investigation as soon as I get the chance."
Thomson's Technical Director Ross Daniel said: "We have spent years minimising the risks to the Vendée Globe. But colliding with an object in the water is something you have no control over. It's very frustrating. (...) The boat can sail with or without foils. So it's not the end of the world. But it will now sail faster on one bow than the other. Alex will now have to change his sailing style depending on which bow he sails on."
According to the team management, Thomson and his boat were initially not in danger on Saturday evening. "Hugo Boss" continues to lead the race, which started on 6 November. Thomson wants to dismantle his broken foil as quickly as possible and continue the regatta.
Bertrand de Broc has now given up. The Frenchman and his boat struggled for a long time with the consequences of a collision off Portugal. Together with his team manager, Bertrand de Broc has now made the decision to abandon the race with severe damage to the hull. "It is impossible to finish the race," said the experienced solo skipper. Bertrand de Broc described the abandonment as a "very difficult decision": "Something like this always happens to skippers in their career, but it doesn't make it any easier to bear. I'm disappointed, but it would be unreasonable to head for the Southern Ocean in this condition."
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
