Hugo Boss - T-bone Collision

Les Sables d’Olonne, France - Weeks to go to the start of the Vendée Globe, and already there's been a calamity.  The IMOCA Open 60 Hugo Boss skippered by Alex Thomson, despite reportedly having lights, radar, and AIS running, was struck while sitting still in the water early this morning outside Les Sables d’Olonne.  It seems a French fishing vessel simply plowed right into the yacht, holing the hull and dismasting Hugo Boss.  The raceboat is in the yard now, being assessed by the team.  Luckily, no injuries occurred.

At around 3:00 this morning, Hugo Boss was sitting about a mile and a half off Les Sables d’Olonne, with three crew aboard.  The team reported that not only were the operational lights on, but additional lights as well - including the strobe, and there was a man on deck.  Nonetheless, the fishing vessel drove at about 8.5 knots straight into the starboard side of the Open 60 at the shroud chainplates, striking with enough force to take down the mast and poke a significant hole in the side of Hugo Boss.

At a press conference later, Thomson said they had "all the rigging lit up like a Christmas tree! We had the radar working and the echo-finder… I think it may have been difficult to spot this boat coming up on us, as she was advancing so quickly: the man on watch tried to start the engine, but it was already too late. There were a lot of fishing boats around us with their red or white lights on, in addition to the town lights… Moreover, we were not in the harbour channel to Les Sables d´Olonne."

According to Thomson, after striking the Hugo Boss boat, the fishing boat "circled around us to make sure everyone on board was safe and sound. Then, she entered the harbour in Les Sables d’Olonne. Then, some sailors came back out in a dinghy to check everything was O.K. My first priority was to ensure the well-being of my crew and the boat, then we informed the emergency services. We were in no immediate danger, which explains why it took a while for this story to spread ashore."

Thomson and team Hugo Boss have every intention of making the Nov. 9th start line for the Vendée Globe, and in usual solo sailing spirit, not one but three teams have already offered Thomson a mast.  Said Thomson:  "I have spent four years preparing for this Vendée Globe and I don´t intend to quit now! There are three weeks and two days left before the start. I´m lucky to have a great team around me and have already faced some tough challenges, and on each occasion, we have found the solutions. Until someone tells me I can´t line up for the start on 9th November, you can count on me being there!"

-YC Crew exclusively for YachtPals.com

Read more about the Vendee Globe:

• Vendee Globe (all news, blogs, and photos about the Vendee Globe)
• In a Familiar Town - Mike Golding Blog
  
• One Month to Go Before the Vendée Globe - Dee Caffari Blog
  
• Vendee Globe Training at Port La Foret - Sam Davies Blog
  
• Sailor in the Spotlight Interview - Steve White
• Sailor in the Spotlight Interview - Loïck Peyron
• Sailor in the Spotlight Interview - Sam Davies