Message from Alex Thomson

Hugo Boss shortly to depart Cape Town

"We will all be sorry to leave Cape Town. It is certainly one of those places that you can visit for a week or so and never leave - and it's easy to see why. We have been shown fantastic hospitality and it will be hard to get back on the boat and sail home, but we are all relishing the opportunity of putting Hugo Boss through her paces with a crew.

"Progress on Hugo Boss has been going very well. The crew and I would specifically like to thank Uwe from Jazmarine, Bruce and Gigi at CapeTown Boating and Technologies and especially Rob Sharp from Central Boating, without whose help and generosity we would not have achieved so much in so little time. The repair on the gooseneck was finished just before Christmas, and after putting the boat back together (and having a few well-needed days off during the festive season), we have been out sailing and testing the repair (and boy, have we tested it!).

"Because of the effect of Table Mountain looming above it, Cape Town has its own micro-climate. The wind here ranges from absolutely nothing to 40-50 knots, sometimes more. Round the cans racing isn’t canned here until the breeze hits 40 knots!!! Luckily for us the first few days were of lighter breeze, but before long the 40 knots kicked in and Hugo Boss revelled in the stronger winds we found for her in the days that followed. It was great to be back on the water, great to be sailing fast again.

"I still have twinges of disappointment as the leaders in the Vendée Globe come around the Horn and head home, however I am sure the twinges would have been stronger if I had ended up spending Christmas in The Kerguelen Islands! The Vendée is continuing to be a great race and good luck to Mike Golding, right in the thick of it!

"We will leave tomorrow and sail directly north, close to the coast to stay away from the light winds further west. Our passage up the Atlantic will be the opposite to the Vendée players, as we will sail downwind to the east of the high, whereas the single-handers should have a long slog upwind to the west of the high.

"The passage home will take roughly a month, so we should be back in England in early February. I know it won’t be quite the same as coming home after the Vendée, but I hope many of you will make it down to Gosport to welcome us in."

Alex.