Alex Thomson Racing team who supported Wouter Verbraak and Andy Meiklejohn on HUGO BOSS. Image copyright Manuel Medir/FNOB.
by Andi Robertson
29/12/2010 Alex Thomson is admitted for emergency appendectomy
30/12/2010 Wouter Verbraak (NED) announced as replacement skipper to sail until Alex is declared fit. Verbraak sailed sections of 2008-9 Volvo Ocean Race on Team Russia and Team Delta Lloyd
31/12/2010 Slow start for Hugo Boss initially +9 miles behind leaders
01/01/2011 Bring in 2011 in 11th place
02/01 13th place +105m behind leader
04/01 Alboran 14th +165 miles
05/01 NO WIND making less than 3 knots sailing N-S in Straits! +345 miles from leader
06/01 Pass Gibraltar at 3.7kts boatspeed, +328 miles behind leader
Anna Corbella from GAES Centros Auditivos welcomes Wouter Verbraak and Andy Meiklejohn home to Barcelona. Image copyright Manuel Medir/FNOB.
07/01 on E’ly routing relative to fleet, 14th
09/01 chasing close with FMC at Canaries + 1 mile behind them in terms of DTF
09/01 pass very close to Tenerife, Hierro and La Gomera Canaries seeking thermal acceleration +655 miles behind leaders. Alex Thomson declared medically fit to race, plan develops for him to join in Cabo Verde Islands
11/01 never quite getting same Trade Winds strengths as leaders
12-3/01 Hugo Boss races on at Cabo Verde after Alex’ infant son diagnosed with heart problem.
14/01 Wouter says 24 hours of mixed emotions, racing on wearing Alex’s clothes
14/01 Making miles on leaders
17/01 fastest in fleet, 9th place, +366 miles from leader.
19/01 Entering St Helena high pressure, easterly routing 8th Foncia are 40 miles ahead in terms of DTF... but 770 miles to the SSW of Hugo Boss!
22/01 +125 miles behind GAES Centros Auditivos, the duel is on.
24/01 - 27/01 Mainsail repairs for Hugo Boss – take four days. Combination of that and high pressure zone c/w leaders rapid low system ride means Hugo Boss lose 1000 miles in four days to the leaders. Virbac-Paprec 3 sets new 24 hours record, breaking Alex and Andrew Cape’s mark.
28/01 Fastest of fleet...
31/01 Upwind approach to longitude of Cape of Good Hope – same line as GAES who are 210 miles ahead.
Their wives greet the boys at the end of the race: left, Kristine with Wouter Verbraak, and, right, Kirsten with Andy Meiklejohn. Image copyright Manuel Medir/FNOB.
08/02 +76 miles behind GAES
09/02 +27 miles behind GAES
10/02 +6 miles behind GAES
11/02 Pass GAES Centros Auditivos up to 8th place
11-12/02 Fastest in fleet making 453 miles (their best 24h run of the race)
16/02 Reveal mast track issue which has plagued them for nearly 21 days, one and half metres if track has pulled away at top of mast
18/02 seek shelter close to Tasmania only 9 miles off and slowed – trying mast track repair?
24/02 Pass Wellington in 8th place. Manage to get by without stopping, emotional time for Andy passing his home waters at time of Christchurch
25/02 GAES Centros Auditiovos come out of Cook Strait with breeze and catch to +51 miles
26/02 Dealing with strong low, ex cyclone ATU, GAES Centros Auditivos go north, Hugo Boss go more direct southerly routing. GAES gain initially.
Charging issue means running on absolutely minimum power, faulty water pump means different solutions sought, constant work for Wouter and Andy, team at Gosport base mock up pump system.
03/03 +211 miles ahead of GAES Centros Auditivos
09/03 setting up for Cape Horn, mixed conditions high pressure ridge and sail damage, then low mean very compromised approach
11/03 GAES catch miles
12/03 Pass Cape Horn together, in sight of each other around 1.5 miles apart, Caffari and Corbella lead away up the South Atlantic.
12-13/03 Pass Ushuaia where Kito de Pavant and Seb Audigane are stopped and subsequently abandon. Hugo Boss up to seventh.
13/03 Make first stop in Adventure Sound to east of East Falkland island to try and make sail repairs. Slowed or stopped for 33 hours. Hits the duo hard that they cannot repair effectively and head to Stanley, arriving after holding pattern,
16/03 Start stopover in Stanley, await Doyle Sails reps from NZ, repairs to sails, generator and mast track.
21/03 Leave Falklands
22/03 back in full race mode
Barcelona World Race
