Alex Thomson
Round-the-world Yachtsman
British Skipper and Motivational Speaker Alex Thomson is a major talent in international yacht racing and the fastest Briton to sail non stop, single handed around the globe.
After a grueling 74 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes at sea he finished second in the 2016/17 Vendée Globe and in doing so Alex ‘the maverick’ broke his own British record of 80 days for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe in a monohull.
His achievements are all the more extraordinary for the fact that he suffered potentially race-ending damage to his boat on day 13 at sea. A collision with an unidentified object in the water caused his starboard foil to break, but even with this set back Alex fought until the finish, securing second place.
Alex had to concede that victory in the 2016/17 Vendée Globe was unlikely when the wind instruments on his 60ft race boat Hugo Boss had prevented the yacht’s autopilot working properly and him from sleeping for days.
The story of his extraordinary career and this race that ‘is like no other’, fraught with danger, speed, adversity and exhaustion – it will leave you on the edge of your conference seat.
Topics
- Overcoming Adversity
- Peak Performance
- Innovative technology
- Adventure
- Competitive Mindset
Competing in the high-speed, extreme IMOCA 60 class, Alex has been sponsored by HUGO BOSS since 2003, making their relationship one of the longest and most coveted in sailing and sports sponsorship history.
On January 30, 2013, Alex finished the Vendee Globe in 3rd place, being the fastest Britain to sail single handedly, non-stop around the globe, finishing the race in 80 days, 19 hours and 23 minutes.
The Vendee Globe around the world race is considered one of the most gruelling competitions on the planet. Having finished third and second in the last two competition’s, it’s rumoured that Alex will return in 2020-21 to compete for the winning place.
In July 2017 Alex was presented with the Chichester Award at the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes. It was presented by The Princess Royal and was given to Alex in recognition of his offshore sailing achievements. First awarded to Sir Francis Chichester in 1967 , to date the Trophy has only been awarded 16 times.
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