Emergency for Alex Thomson Racing

Alex Thomson and Guillermo Altadill, high-profile skippers in the two-handed Transat Jacques Vabre race from France to Brazil, set off their emergency beacon as their cutting-edge carbo IMOCA 60 yacht Hugo Boss broke up on the weekend.

The Spanish Coastguard was informed and sent a rescue helicopter to their location 82 nautical miles from the Spanish coast. Alex and Guillermo were rescued from the location by helicopter.

Huge Boss incurred some structural damage previously, forcing Alex and Guillermo to stop racing. The skippers had made a repair and were on route to A Coruna where the technical team were waiting to meet them.

After sailing for a period of 36 hours in high seas and strong winds, the structure of the boat deteriorated further and the boat started to take on water and sink.

Managing Director Stewart Hosford said: "Our first concern is with Alex and Guillermo and when they are safely on the ground we will address the situation with our IMOCA 60 and begin the salvage process. We are grateful for the swift response from the rescue services in this situation."

Another IMOCA 60, Spirit of Hungary, was dismasted over the weekend and all told seven of the highly-strung IMOCA 60s have been forced to retire from the Transat Jacques Vabre.

Meantime, Alex Thomson and his team are reportedly back onboard Hugo Boss, which is said to be in a stable situation.

The IMOCA 60 was undergoing the necessary checks in order to tow her back to A Coruna, Spain, where additional team members were 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.

Technical Director Ross Daniel said: "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 IMOCAs 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.’

Updates on the website www.AlexThomsonracing.com.

The weather conditions in the first few days saw wind speeds in excess of 50 knots (75 km/h) and waves up to 10 metres high. Alex and Guillermo made the decision to take the safest route, passing the weather system to the south. Whilst travelling south west the yacht incurred some structural damage and the skippers took the decision to head for A Coruna, Spain 120 miles away.

The yacht was hove to, whilst Alex and Guillermo waited for the next weather window allowing them to proceed to port. Unexpectedly a rogue wave caught the racing yacht causing the yacht to turn upside down. Alex and Guillermo managed to close the hatches and secure the situation whilst inverted. Alex immediately hit the keel button, bringing the yacht back upright. They then alerted the rescue services and technical team of an emergency situation. The yacht had taken onboard a substantial amount of water and the rig had sustained damage requiring the skippers to leave the yacht.

Alex Thomson explains "I have never experienced anything like it. I was asleep and woke up to a boat upside down rapidly filling with water. Guillermo and I responded together as a team to the difficult situation and now that my boat’s back safely we can focus on our Vendee Globe campaign as a team. We have overcome problems before and I am as determined as ever to succeed."

Always at the forefront of innovation, the team are pushing the boundaries with an advanced new boat design and know that race conditions provide the ultimate test.

Alex and Guillermo were aiming for a podium finish in the Transat Jacques Vabre, and remain determined to succeed in the Vendee Globe. They will now focus their energy on further improving the yacht and honing its competitive edge.

CEO of Alex Thomson Racing, Stewart Hosford, explained: "We are delighted to have the boat back on the dock and I am grateful to all of our team and the coastguard for their hard work and support. The team will now be working hard to assess and resolve the issues as quickly as possible so that we can resume our training programme. We are as determined as ever to get the boat back sailing and in race condition and continue to focus on the Vendee Globe.