One of the world’s leading offshore sailing teams, Alex Thomson Racing, has renewed its partnership with international rope manufacturer Gleistein Ropes for a further two years.
Having penned an initial partnership back in 2014, Alex Thomson Racing and Gleistein Ropes will now work together to develop and install a complex rigging system onboard the ocean racing team’s new IMOCA 60 race boat. The yacht, which is set to launch this summer, is being designed and built with one key objective in mind – to win the 2020-2021 solo, non-stop round the world Vendée Globe race.
Ross Daniel, Technical Director at Alex Thomson Racing, said: “Reliability is of paramount importance in our sport – rope failure is simply not an option – and so it’s vital that the rigging onboard the new boat is of the highest quality.
“We chose to extend our partnership with Gleistein for a number of reasons. They have an unrivalled level of experience when it comes to rope specification and selection, and are able to cater to the complex degrees of customisation that we demand. They also offer incredibly robust covers and hugely reliable core breaking strength.
“As a team, we have worked hard to bring together the very best specialists in every field to work on the new HUGO BOSS boat. The boat is custom built to be raced by Alex, as the skipper, and to tackle a race as gruelling as the Vendée. In working with Gleistein, we are adding yet another industry leader to our portfolio of partners.”
Dr. Heide Giese-Bothe, Market Manager Water Sport at Gleistein Ropes, added: “Offshore racing is arguably the most gruelling discipline in yachting, taking man and material to their absolute limits, and leaving virtually no room for second chances.
“The partnership we have enjoyed since 2014 with Alex Thomson Racing has been as enriching as it has been challenging. Besides providing rope solutions that achieve an unsurpassed level of performance, our primary task is to ensure complete reliability – under some of the toughest conditions that yachts are ever subjected to. We are delighted to be continuing as the Official Rope Supplier to Alex Thomson Racing and aim to jointly bring the team’s new HUGO BOSS yacht across the finishing line in first place at the next Vendée Globe”.
Founded in 1824, Gleistein Ropes is a leader in the development, manufacture and distribution of high-quality ropes. Operating from two of the world’s most modern production plants, in Bremen and Trencin, the business produces a multitude of synthetic fibres into more than 5,500 different kinds of rope.