New record of the world: 500 miles in 24 hours!

7 of December of 2007: Today Hugo Boss makes history… The boat of Boss de Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape has broken in three occasions the world-wide record of speed when crossing in a day the incredible distance of 500.01 miles, with an average of speed of 20.83 knots. Hugo Boss follows in fourth place of regata, but four days ago it was to 400 miles of first, the PRB of Vincent Riou in head, now the difference that separates to him of the French boat is of hardly 126 nm.

The pair anglian-Australian surpassed the old top of 468.72 miles of 2003 that alone owned Thomson with a mark of 492.74 miles, in the situation of 11:15 GMT the new mark reached the 499.22 miles and in the one of 14:15 GMT the 500.01, which is equivalent to the gigantic distance of 925 kilometers!

The rate of the race is now vertiginous, which has caused that even Veolia Environnement, pressed by the Hugo Boss, that wants to strip of his third place to him, has registered during today 470 miles, bases superior to the old world-wide record of 2003. During the videoconference of this behind schedule in the World Trade Center, it has been greeted to Thomson with a solemn applause to which it has corresponded with the victory signal from the control post of Hugo Boss. Thomson has wanted first to congratulate to its ground equipment and the designers of this boat of last generation that is the unique one of the factory of Finot, something rare in one regata oceanic, in Barcelona World RACE.

Thomson has appeared aterido of cold, with much clothes of shelter and a hood. “The conditions begin to be very hard - it has explained. Long ago cold and the humidity is very lifted. We are soaked all the day. We have had a wind of 30 to 35 knots. The sensations are very strong at this speed. They pass tons to us of water upon the boat”. Besides the clothes, Alex has shown to a hockey helmet ice that puts he and Andrew to protect itself of the blows of the water.

Also congratulated by Ellen MacArthur, that today has participated in the videoconference from the island of Wight, Thomson has admitted that the record has surprised him, since “in the first 18 hours the average has been rather under: 18,5 knots”.  To maintain this speed is practically impossible.

Regata has entered a totally different dimension in the 40 rugientes. The Paprec Virbac 2 has reduced the advantage that took the PRB to him to the minimum expression (one mile), the fight by the third place acquires a surprising interest by the speed of Hugo Boss and of the Veolia Environnement and in the part of back of the classification the three Spanish boats they maintain the distance with respect to first in the hope of better winds, since they have still not reached parallel 40.

The boom of new the Hugo Boss unique boat of BWR designed by Finot.