Hermit
Well-known member
Shame but fully understand.
British Sailor Alex Thomson steps down from racing and turns focus to the next generation
British Sailor Alex Thomson steps down from racing and turns focus to the next generation
No more Vendee for Alex
- Thread starter Hermit
- Start date
flaming
Well-known member
Not exactly a surprise. The big question to me is if the combination of Alex as a Mentor with a young skipper can bring in the sponsorship money in the same way.
The rumour is that there are about 14 new IMOCAs being built for 2024. The game is moving on at an incredible pace....
The rumour is that there are about 14 new IMOCAs being built for 2024. The game is moving on at an incredible pace....
Minerva
Well-known member
if true, that's a staggering amount of Sponsorship money coming into the sport! Can't wait to see just what the next generation of boats are capable in achieving.
flaming
Well-known member
9 are already announced... Other expected soon.
Poignard
Well-known member
I think he deserves an honour.
Kukri
Well-known member
It’s been clear that his heart was no longer in it for a while now.
xcw
Active member
I wonder if this driven by Hugo Boss withdrawing sponsorship? (just asking as I have no information on this)
flaming
Well-known member
2016 was "his" vendee. And it's pretty clear that had he not broken a foil he would have won.
I think the full story of 2020, in terms of the design choices they made that put them in such a different corner of the envelope compared to anyone else, and then the issues they had with nearly sinking in the TJV and the structural issues in the race itself, is yet to be told. And may well make for a case study in how it's possible to be too well funded, and to push things too far compared to your competitors. With hindsight, a smaller budget and further foil optimisation on his 2016 boat shows more likely to have been successful.
Of course everyone thought that the pace of development was too high, and that there was no way a 2016 boat could win in 2020....
flaming
Well-known member
I think he'd really made the decision a long time ago. The balancing act he seems to be trying to pull off is to remain involved with the team, but not be the skipper.
matt1
Well-known member
Sad, but he has a lot of knowledge to pass on. Hope there continues to be sponsorship, there seem to be a few up and coming younger generation solo sailors that he could mentor. Having seen him around his kids, he really is a very involved Dad and all credit to him. I'm sure he will miss it.
Kukri
Well-known member
Very good posts by flaming.
Kukri
Well-known member
There seem to be more sponsors than ever before. Some of this new sponsorship will be the result of people seeing what Alex Thompson did for Hitler’s uniform suppliers.*
His carefully planned and well photographed stunts made sailing “cool” for a lot of people. He has really been a model of what a sponsored athlete should be. No scandals, good family man, loyal to his employers and actually extremely good at what he does but always “facing the public”.
Hugo Boss - Wikipedia
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Buck Turgidson
Well-known member
I take it you’ve never owned a German car or a Swiss watch.
Kukri
Well-known member
BMW motorcycles and Ulysse Nardin watches, yes. And I’ve built ships at Mitsubishi.
But Hugo Boss was a convinced and dedicated Nazi party member, who got his start by selling to the Party. I have German friends who won’t touch them with a barge pole, for that reason. That puts the company in a slightly different position, I think, and Alex Thompson has, through his excellent work for them, improved their standing, globally.
laika
Well-known member
I couldn't agree more with kukri. Accepted that sailing doesn't have the reach of more mainstream sports but I'm struggling to think of a more striking sports-based campaign than Boss's sponsorship of Alex Thompson and the "stunts". It's in an entirely different league to anything else I can think of and a far cry from the generic sports-person-saying-they-use-a-product deal.
A shame to see him retire from racing without getting that top spot he was capable of but good luck to him with future projects.
A shame to see him retire from racing without getting that top spot he was capable of but good luck to him with future projects.
Kukri
Well-known member
Alex Thompson steps into the spot marked “The Stirling Moss of IMOCA sailing!”
And yes I think he ought to get a K.
Keen_Ed
Active member
Certainly wrote the book on giving the sponsor value. Spending four or five days sailing up and down off the British Open golf (always played at a seaside, links, course) every year was a genius move, for example.
Frogmogman
Well-known member
I dare say you’ve all seen that Alex Thomson has decided not to compete in the next Vendée Globe.
It.s been easy for us all in the comfort of our own homes to enjoy vicariously his amazing efforts over the past events without thinking too much about how hard it must be for his loved ones back home.
I really do wish Alex all the best, and would like to thank him most sincerely for all of the pleasure and excitement he has provided; he’s been brilliant, and I hope to see him at the helm of the winning boat in the 2028-29 event.
‘I won’t race in next Vendée – my kids just want Dad to be home’
Alex Thomson: I won’t race in next Vendée Globe – my kids just want Dad to be home
It.s been easy for us all in the comfort of our own homes to enjoy vicariously his amazing efforts over the past events without thinking too much about how hard it must be for his loved ones back home.
I really do wish Alex all the best, and would like to thank him most sincerely for all of the pleasure and excitement he has provided; he’s been brilliant, and I hope to see him at the helm of the winning boat in the 2028-29 event.
‘I won’t race in next Vendée – my kids just want Dad to be home’
Alex Thomson: I won’t race in next Vendée Globe – my kids just want Dad to be home
dunedin
Well-known member
Duplicate thread- see one already in the racing forum
Frogmogman
Well-known member
Thanks. I really ought to get out more and look at the other forums too occasionally.
