“Ruthless, brutal, devouring.”
Official supplier of shock formulas for the media, Alex Thomson saw his impactful vision of the Vendée Globe come back like a boomerang this weekend.
Because his dreams of becoming the first foreign sailor to triumph in the solo round-the-world race took a lead in the wing off Brazil after only two weeks of racing.
Its majestic black and pink frame is already running out of steam, its bowels weakened by a liquid element that has become concrete for ever faster monohulls and increasing antics on their foils.
Clashes galore and cracking hulls, despite the cementing operation urgently decreed before the big departure for all the teams of these new boats that are difficult to control. As of Saturday evening, Thomson therefore put the brakes on and spat in the pognes in order to consolidate the cracked spar (beam in the direction of the length) of Hugo Boss.
TEAM UPDATE: https: //t.co/KCe7jhFhrQ@VendeeGlobeENG@VendeeGlobe
- Alex Thomson Racing (@ ATRacing99) November 22, 2020
The story is not yet over.
But the miles behind the head of the race were going by at full speed for the former leader, behind Thomas Rouillard (LinkedOut) and Charlie Dalin (Apivia).
The first named also had to take out the toolbox this weekend.
Its rise at the head of the mast, as frightening and dizzying (28 meters high) as it is, did not a priori affect its chances of victory.
The Northerner had also regained speed to retain first place on Sunday.
Resin dressing
Thomson, he knows very well that his resin bandage risks coming off, in the harshness of the South Seas or elsewhere.
It was difficult, in these conditions, to press the mushroom for those who confided in piloting their boat "like a stolen car" before the start of the Vendée Globe 2016-2017, finished in 2nd place behind Armel Le Cléac'h.
Despite the breakage of a foil in the descent of the Atlantic, the Welshman had blown to the end in the neck of the Finistère, proof of a crazy tenacity.
At 46, he is tackling “Everest of the Seas” for the fifth time this year.
Only the oldest Jean Le Cam, another king without a crown in the Vendée Globe (2nd in 2005) and still in the game with 61 brooms (again 4th yesterday), put so much heart into the work.
@ ATRacing99 Team Technical Director Ross Daniel explains the structural problem aboard HUGO BOSS.
The repair is in progress.
Read more➡️ https://t.co/kI0S02DMuVpic.twitter.com/M7rVq2Qxrp
- Vendée Globe (@VendeeGlobe) November 22, 2020
Thanks to the substantial resources of its loyal sponsor (fifth participation at its side), Thomson had designed a revolutionary monohull to finally win the holy grail this year.
It is in a fully enclosed cockpit, installed at the foot of the mast, that the former disciple of the British legend Robin Knox-Johnston maneuvers.
In the dry with an eye on one of the many cameras allowing him to scan the ocean.
Promising, the machine still lacked miles on the clock, the fault in particular of a meeting with an ofni on the Transat Jacques Vabre.
“Whatever happens, you must always do everything to finish the race,” hammered his pilot at Le Figaro last year, referring to his many past struggles including his incredible stranding on the stones of Guadeloupe in 2018. The alarm clock had cost him the victory in the Route du rhum.
Damned!
[Stories from the sea]
We have concocted for you a summary of the videos of the sea from this night and this morning.
Find all the offshore videos on:
- @dailymotion: https://t.co/yfESwlqEy7
- @YouTube: https://t.co/3XZaGLABxo#VG2020pic.twitter.com/sQfwOCu0X2
- Vendée Globe (@VendeeGlobe) November 22, 2020
Read also
Vendée Globe: Structure problem for Hugo Boss, Alex Thomson tries to repair