Alex Thomson’s sailing campaign got underway again today when the new Hugo Boss IMOCA 60 took to the water at Endeavour Quay, Gosport, England. The former Pindar has been undergoing a dramatic redesign over the last four months and today’s launch was the first time she has been fully unveiled. Hugo Boss will be christened on Thursday 27th May 2010 in London.
The radical redesign has been created under the guidance of renowned boat designer Juan Kouyoumdjian, who has worked closely with Thomson to optimise the ease of use and to allow him to compete at the highest possible level. The most notable change is the two pods which replace the old single cockpit and gives the boat a unique and extraordinary new look. In addition, the pods add significantly improved usage features that are designed to improve the capability and usability of the boat in a number of areas.
The launch marks the next phase of Alex Thomson’s campaign which will see him spend some time getting to know the new boat in the Solent before embarking on a transatlantic crossing to New York. The crossing will give Thomson his first real chance to test the limits of Hugo Boss, which is more powerful than any other boat in the IMOCA 60 fleet.
“We’ve been working hard over the past year to create this amazing boat and we’re really pleased with the result”, said Alex Thomson. “This is the most important part of the campaign for me. Getting the boat in the water and getting to grips with her for the first time is fundamental to the build up to our campaign.”
After the transatlantic crossing, Thomson will embark on a Mediterranean sailing programme before heading to Spain for the start of the double-handed round the world race at the end of the year. “We are extremely pleased to have launched at this early stage, enabling ourselves sufficient time to make any modifications before the race starts in December”
