Mast track issues on Hugo Boss

Decision still to be made about a pitstop in Wellington

The Hugo Boss Sailing team have announced that their IMOCA 60 competing in the Barcelona World Race has a major problem with her mast track. Crew Andy Meiklejohn and Wouter Verbraak have been unable to race under full sail for some time now.

Half a metre of mainsail track was ripped from the mast several weeks ago on 28 January, and the shore team have been working since then to form a plan for a repair to be made. The track has come away from the mast above the first reef, meaning that they have been unable to sail the boat to it’s full potential in light winds for over three weeks.

The team are hopeful that a repair can be made without a stop in Wellington, however the shore team, including skipper Alex Thomson, are on their way to New Zealand in the event that a stop becomes necessary.