Portsmouth, UK, Tuesday 26th July 2011
CELEBRATED SPANISH ROUND-THE-WORLD SAILOR GUILLERMO ALTADILL JOINS THE HUGO BOSS SAILING TEAM
Alex Thomson Racing today announced that round-the-world sailor and former Spanish Sailor of the Year Guillermo Altadill will be joining the HUGO BOSS race team for the forthcoming 2011 sailing events.
Guillermo Altadill, born and raised in Barcelona, has 23 years of sail racing experience, and has competed in nine round-the-world races, including the Barcelona World Race in 2007/08 aboard the IMOCA 60 Estrella Damm, five Volvo Ocean Races, a record-breaking circumnavigation in 2004 aboard the multihull Cheyenne, and a round-the-world race win aboard Club Med in The Race 2001. He also joined Team Germany in the 2007 America’s Cup. Guillermo has coached five Olympic teams, including the gold medal-winning Spanish tornado class at Atlanta 1996.
A five language-speaking father of four, Guillermo says his goal is ‘to sail as much as possible and as fast as possible, and to win as much as possible, while all the time having as much fun as possible.’
‘I have raced in all types of boats, from Olympic Tornado class to big cats and from Volvo Ocean Races to the America’s Cup’, says Altadill. ‘This gives me a great perspective and the best learnings from each discipline to bring to the Alex Thomson racing team and the IMOCA class.’
Guillermo is now based in Gosport, UK, where Alex Thomson Racing has its headquarters and HUGO BOSS is undergoing preparations for the Channel Race next weekend. Guillermo joins Alex and the HUGO BOSS team for this race along with the rest of the racing schedule for the year, including the Cowes Week Artemis Challenge, the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Biscay Race and the 2011 Transat Jacques Vabre.
For more information on Alex Thomson and to follow his preparations for the forthcoming races, visit:
www.alexthomsonracing.com
facebook.com/AlexThomsonRacing
www.twitter.com/alexthomson99
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Alex Thomson
Alex Thomson is the youngest skipper ever to win a round the world race, claiming victory in the 1998/99 Clipper Round the World Race; a record he still holds today. Alex then launched onto the solo racing scene with a bang, breaking the world distance record in 2003. However his first two solo round the world attempts were met with frustration when structural failure of his yacht forced him to retire early from the Vendée Globe 2004 and Velux 5 Oceans Race 2006. He went onto victory in the 2008 Barcelona World Race, securing a 2nd place podium finish, and setting a second monohull world distance record. Alex then set his sights firmly on becoming the first Briton to win the world’s toughest sailing challenge; the solo 26,000 mile non-stop Vendée Globe Ocean Race.
However only 3 weeks before the Vendée Globe was due to commence in November 2008, Alex’s boat was dramatically struck by a French fishing vessel. His team fought against the clock to finish the repairs in record time to achieve the impossible – and get Alex to the start line. Alex’s dreams were shattered after only 3 days when he discovered HUGO BOSS was letting in water. On inspecting the damage it was concluded that the repairs could not be completed in time to get Alex back to the race. Devastated, Alex announced his retirement from the Vendée. He is determined to return and compete in 2012, and achieve his dream to become the first Briton to win the Vendée Globe.
www.alexthomsonracing.com
About HUGO BOSS
The sponsorship portfolio of HUGO BOSS focuses on three major sports; Golf, Formula 1 and Sailing, as well as other sponsorship interests which already include Tennis (Davis Cup) and Football (Real Madrid & Bayern Munich). In sailing, HUGO BOSS gets another platform to demonstrate its fashion competence both on the boat and shore-side. HUGO BOSS provides Alex and the crew with highly functional outfits for all possible weather conditions around the globe, and dresses the crew for every celebration function in the smartest possible way.
www.hugoboss.com
IMOCA Class
IMOCA stands for International Monohull Open Class Association. It is the governing body responsible for the technical rules and regulations of IMOCA Open 60 (ft) yachts that take part in well-known races such as the Vendée Globe, the Route du Rhum, the Transat Jacques Vabre and The Artemis Transat to name a few. IMOCA was established in 1991 and has been recognised as an International ISAF Class since 1998 – safety remains the main priority of the Class
IMOCA not only manages the evolution of the technical rules but also defines the boats’ IMOCA International Ocean Racing World Championship with point-scoring races. It is because of its widespread calendar with races taking place from France, the UK, Spain and the US, that attracts skippers from all around the world.
www.imoca.org
IMOCA Calendar 2011 – 2012
2011 - The Transat Jacques Vabre
2012 – Europa Race, Grand Prix Petit Navire (Exhibition race), The Artemis Transat, The Vendée Globe