PR campaign: The mast walk of Alex Thomson

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In December 2013, clothing manufacturer Hugo Boss extended its sponsorship agreement with British solo sailor Alex Thomson by four years. This secures his participation in the Barcelona World Race, starting on New Year's Eve 2014, and the Vendée Globe, starting in autumn 2016.

However, the preparation for these competitions seems bizarre. Thomson boards the 30-metre-long mast of his Open 60 - in smart designer gear, of course. He had already caused a stir in 2012 when he climbed the keel of his yacht, which floats above the water, from a jet ski.

Of course, these actions are worth nothing in sailing terms, but they do have a PR effect, as this article shows.

Here are the facts about the stunt:

• The stunt took place in Cadiz, Spain
• It is the same boat that Thomson sailed around the world in the 2012/2013 Vendée Globe
• The mast is 30 metres long
• At the moment Thomson jumped from the mast into the ocean, the angle between the boat and the water was about 60 degrees
• The jump height (from the top of the mast to the water) was 12 metres
• During the stunt, the boat was steered by Alex Thomson Racing Operations Manager Ross Daniel
• The stunt took Thomson 45 seconds (from the moment he stepped off the deck until he hit the water)
• During the stunt, the boat was travelling at a speed of 10 knots
• The wind speed that day was 18 knots
• The cameras were located in a helicopter above the "Hugo Boss", on a nearby boat and at several locations on the ship itself (e.g. at the top of the mast)

Homepage Alex Thomson

Alex Thomson's Kielwalk