The gruelling Vendee Globe is now in full swing and British sailor Alex Thomson has already set two records in the solo round-the-world race.
The gruelling Vendee Globe is now in full swing and British sailor Alex Thomson has already set two records in the solo round-the-world race.
The 42-year-old reached the tip of South Africa in 17 days, 22 hours and 58 minutes after leaving Les Sables d’Olonne, which beat the previous record by over five days.
Thomson, who is competing in the Vendée Globe for a fourth time, has averaged speeds in excess of 20 knots since the race began on November 6, despite his starboard foil being ripped off by a submerged object in the Atlantic Ocean last week.
French skipper Armel Le Cleac’h, runner-up in the two previous editions, is currently sitting second, 35 nautical miles behind Thomson.
2016 has been incredible for
alexthomson99</a> & it's not over yet: he's leading the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VG2016?src=hash">#VG2016</a> on the HUGO BOSS <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yourtimetoshine?src=hash">#yourtimetoshine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bosssports?src=hash">#bosssports</a> <a href="https://t.co/4D0npKdvoc">pic.twitter.com/4D0npKdvoc</a></p>— HUGO BOSS (
HUGOBOSS) November 22, 2016