Around 01:45 UTC in the night from 15 to 16 November, the British skipper Alex Thomson (Alex Thomson) came down on the reef about 50 nautical miles from the finish of the race Route du Rhum to the North of Guadeloupe. The yachtsman was not injured, what can be said about his IMOCA Hugo BOSS.
Crash-box, mounted in the bow, worked, softened the blow, but the boat in this area now receives water. Fortunately, so far, it is holding back the bow bulkhead. The bowsprit IMOCA and its right Foyle is also damaged. Thomson is sure that the clash did not go unnoticed and for the keel and adjacent portion of the body. And all this — only that probably could see in the darkness. Local time was about 10 PM.
However, Thomson intends to get to the finish line and gradually approaches it with a speed of 5-7 knots. At the time of preparation of the material he had to pass to 28.3 nm. Sailing gear just in case the ship is accompanied by support from the race organizers. In any case, even before the race it was known that the Route du Rhum will be the last competition for this IMOCA Thomson. To participate in the Vendée Globe in 2020-2021 years he was already working on the boat on solar.
In the race, Thompson remains the leader in its class, but HUGO BOSS retains the status of the fastest IMOCA, which sailor is so proud. The closest rival, Frenchman Paul Mailat (Paul Meilhat) remains in 178,8 nautical miles behind.
But you will get the Thomson prize for first place in its tier? The fact that the International jury of the competition intends to file a protest in connection with the use of the Thomson motor during the night of the incident.
Without it, he apparently just couldn’t remove the boat from the rocks, but the formal rules of the regatta prohibit its members the use of the motor. The jury must decide whether to add the sailor the time penalty and, if so, how.
In General classification Route du Rhum Thomson finishes either fourth or fifth. Approximately 20 nautical miles at a speed of about 20 knots is a Frenchman Erwan Le Roux (Erwan Le Roux) from echelon MULTI50, which may even be able to overtake the Briton. And the day before, about 4 hours before Thompson ran aground at 21:32 UTC third to the finish of the regatta came in the armel Tripon (Armel Tripon).
The tripon won the MULTI50 class. His trimaran Réauté Chocolat has passed the way from Saint Malo to Guadeloupe during 11 days, 7 hours, 32 minutes and 40 seconds. To break the record speed for its tier, which in 2014 established Le Roux, Tripon failed. Its current result was 2 hours and 19 minutes more time of his compatriot.
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