British skipper Alex Thomson today completed the fastest ever passage from the Vendée Globe start line to the Cape of Good Hope in the race's 27-year history. Thomson's Hugo Boss passed the famous milestone on the tip of South Africa at 1100 UTC in seventeen days, 22 hours and 58 minutes since beginning the epic solo round the world race from Les Sables d'Olonne in France.
The incredible run south is in part thanks to the perfect combination of weather conditions since the November 6 start and also the extra speed generated by the foils fitted to the latest generation IMOCA 60 boats. However the loss of Thomson's starboard foil six days ago in a collision with a submerged object has not stopped the sole Brit in the race continuing at record pace. At the 1400 UTC rankings Thomson still had a small lead over second-placed Le Cléac'h but the French skipper, the runner-up in the past two editions of the race, had narrowed the gap from 100 nm to under 90. Le Cléac'h crossed the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope at 1532 UTC after 18 days three hours 30 minutes, four hours and 32 minutes behind Thomson.
Once into the Indian Ocean the frontrunners are set to encounter a short period of lighter winds before jumping onto another depression, this time moving east through the Southern Ocean.
Vendee Globe press
Foto: © Hugo Boss
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