Thursday 1st December – Today at 14:00 UTC Alex Thomson has regained his lead in the solo, non-stop, around the world race the Vendee Globe.
For the majority of the race Thomson has been leading the fleet, however, after an incident with his starboard foil hitting a UFO on the 21st November, Thomson moved into second place due to his damaged foil when sailing on port tack.
The leading pair passed the north of the Kerguelen Islands, a remote archipelago of islands in the Southern Indian Ocean on the 30th November. Both Thomson and Le Cleac’h gybed after passing the islands, moving onto starboard tack, allowing Thomson and HUGO BOSS to use the remaining foil and regain their lead in the Vendée Globe.
The Vendée Globe takes place every four years and has historically been dominated by the French. This year’s edition sees 29 IMOCA 60s compete in the race, including Thomson, the only British entrant.
The race is renowned for being one of the most gruelling sporting challenges in the world. Just 71 of the 138 starters since the race’s inception, back in 1989, have successfully completed the race, and 3 have lost their lives along the way.
Thomson is determined to be the first British skipper to win the race, which could take in the region of 80 days to complete.