The Thomson rocket can't be stopped anymore, despite the foil damage on November 19, 2016. After beating the Record of the Ushant-Ecuador crossing in 9 days, 7 hours and 3 minutes at sea, he set two new records in this 2016 Vendée Globe.
Alex Thomson, the fastest skipper in 24 hours
On 21 November, the British sailor broke the 24-hour sailing distance record by covering 535.34 nautical miles. He thus dethroned François Gabart, who had recorded 534.48 miles in the same race in 2012. Alex Thomson thus covered 1,573 metres more than the skipper of Macif. However, the official rules stipulate that for this record to be ratified, it must be 1 mile higher than the previous record, which is not the case here...
Alex Thomson will therefore remain the fastest sailor in the Vendée Globe - single-handed on a 60-foot monohull - over a distance of 24 hours. And the performance is to be applauded, when we know that a few days before, his starboard foil was damaged after a collision with a UFO.
Cape of Good Hope Record
The skipper of Hugo Boss rounded the Cape of Good Hope this Thursday 24th November 2016 at 12h00 after 17 days 22 h and 58 mn. He thus pulverises Armel Le Cléac'h's reference time. It took a little more than 5 days less (5 days and 48 minutes) than the time established in 2012 of 22 days 23 hours and 46 minutes.
Alex Thomson sailed from the Equator to the Cape of Good Hope, Africa's southernmost point, aboard his IMOCA 60, HUGO BOSS, in just 8 days 15 hours and 56 minutes (at 11am UTC), also setting a new record in the race. French skipper Jean-Pierre Dick held the record for the time between the Equator and the Cape of Good Hope in 2013, which was achieved in 12 days, 2 hours and 40 minutes aboard Virbac-Paprec 3.
In spite of his damage, Alex Thomson is determined to be the first British sailor to win the Vendée Globe. And for the moment, he is succeeding rather well, stealing records and leading the fleet by nearly 100 miles for over a week. Will his foil end up hurting the skipper of Hugo Boss?
