Alex Thomson Racing rollout of the new HUGO BOSS boat at the Endeavour Quay boatyard in Portsmouth Harbour.
Designed by Alex Thomson Racing and naval architects VPLP, and built by world-renowned boat builder Jason Carrington, the new HUGO BOSS boat is the first of its kind in the world.
The IMOCA 60 racing yacht has been built with one goal in mind – to win the Vendée Globe in 2020-21
The yacht will race for the first time in October in the Transat Jacques Vabre, a 5,395 nautical miles(nm) double-handed race from Le Havre, France to Salvador, Brazil.
Joining British sailor Alex Thomson as co-skipper for the race will be seven-time Volvo Ocean Race competitor, and former Olympic sailor, Neal McDonald.
Following the TJV, Thomson will go on to compete in the solo, 3,100nm Transat New York to Vendée in May 2020, a race which sets the stage – and is a key indicator – for the Vendée Globe itself. Having secured a third place finish in the race in 2016, all eyes will be on the Briton this time around.
The final race in the team’s 2019-2020 calendar will be the iconic Vendée Globe, beginning on Sunday November 8th 2020 in Les Sables d’Olonne, France.
The 24,000nm solo, non-stop, unassisted race around the world has long been the focus of Thomson and his 25-strong team and – having finished the last two editions of the race in third and second place – they are targeting victory in 2021.