Alex Thomson's final sprint

I complained to the VG organizers yesterday as they stopped the "Distance to leader" (ie home) on the tracking saying "Hey, the race isn't over yet". It was back with in a few hours. I do believe however that a Frenchman has won so the race has ended in their eyes.
 
By my reckoning Alex should be crossing the most hazardous belt about now - the transition from very deep ( >3000 metres ) to rather shallow ( ~300 feet ) and about 100 miles to go. With a long-established W/SW fetch and continuing high wind and higher seas, the next hour or two will be most taxing, if not worrying. He's stated he'll be nursing the boat; we can only hope he doesn't have big cross-seas coming down from the very deep Atlantic system now assaulting the north of Scotland and the Western Isles after giving NW Ireland a pasting.

'For those in peril on the seas tonight.....'

:eek:

Edit: At 0040UTC Alex Thomson was just under 100nm from the Finish..... so, about 0700UTC depending on the breeze easing as he closes the coast. He should be able to enter the Channel until about 0800UTC, but there will be a big sea running to complicate matters. It's possible that the port will be closed until the afternoon Rise of Tide.
 
Last edited:
Well, he's in....

"Alex Thomson crossed the Vendée Globe finish line at 07 hours 25 minn 43 seconds (GMT) after 80 days 19 hours 23min 43 seconds at sea. He finishes 2 days 18 hours and 7 minutes behind François Gabart."

Remarkable!
 
Awesome achievement. - The Vandee team changed their mind decided to screen the finish live, but as of yet, they have shown nothing...


...thank goodness for the Alex Thompson race team page on FB who posted some cracking piccies and updates...

Hopefully their will be some live footage of Alex on the Canal
 
NOTHING ON UK MEJA :mad:

I watched BBC Breakfast (they who had Alex on a live feed every Friday morning at 0800 throughout his race) thinking at last a mainstream British broadcaster has woken up to this awesome achievement. NOT A SAUSAGE!!! Just blathering on about some French footballer with a silly haircut who might be leaving a football club to go to another football club for enough money to clear the debt of a small African country!!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Considering the fanfare around British sportsmen and women throughout the past 12 months (whilst not wishing to devalue their individual achievements) what would Alex have to do to make the news in his own country to the same level as Jessica Ennis or Mo Farah. Yes I know they won gold but this guy's just sailed around the world on his own!!!
 
Sailorman
Can you do something about your saying( about cars & junk in garages)
The stuff in my garage is worth infinitely more than my car. For a start my suit of Hydes would buy 2 of my car
& then there is the wife's golf clubs- now you are talking serious money
You have no idea what it costs to allow me to go sailing
 
Sorry :o

Sailorman
Can you do something about your saying( about cars & junk in garages)
The stuff in my garage is worth infinitely more than my car. For a start my suit of Hydes would buy 2 of my car
& then there is the wife's golf clubs- now you are talking serious money
You have no idea what it costs to allow me to go sailing
 
Top