Just a few days before the UK went into COVID-19 lockdown, the Hugo Boss IMOCA 60 was ready to exit the shed. The team had completed the significant job of rebuilding their keel area, after striking a UFO (unidentified floating object) and jettisoning their keel during the Transat Jacques Vabre at the end of 2019.

Upon arrival from the Cape Verde Islands, HUGO BOSS was moved to Southampton. There, a full NDT (non-destructive testing using ultrasound) of the boat was carried out in order to assess the damage.

Thankfully, as suspected, the damage is contained to the keel area. The rest of the hull, the foils and rudders are undamaged. The mast, rigging and full inventory of Doyle sails are undamaged also.

Following the NDT, the Hugo Boss composite team began working to cut away the damaged parts of the hull and structure. Together, their structural engineers, Gurit; naval architects, VPLP; design manager, Pete Hobson; and in-house team put together a full repair plan. This plan allowed their boat builders to move swiftly forwards with the work required throughout the Christmas period.

British sailor Alex Thomson has been forced to withdraw from the Transat Jacques Vabre race after severe damage to the keel of his Hugo Boss boat.

Hampshire's Thomson, who is bidding to win the Vendee Globe in 2020 on board the 60ft Imoca class craft, was unhurt.

He and former Olympic sailor Neal McDonald have been competing together in the double-handed race.

They had completed just over a third of the 4,350-mile course from France to Brazil at the time of the accident.

Thomson, 45, unveiled the new £6m edition of his boat in September and this was the first time it had raced competitively.

Early on Sunday, while racing at around 25 knots, they hit something in the water which left the boat's keel only attached by the hydraulic ram.

The team said it was not clear what they hit when the vessel was about 420 miles southwest from Madeira and 380 miles northwest of the Canary Islands.

They are now working to find the safest port to navigate to.

Thomson, from Gosport, finished second in the 2017 Vendee Globe solo round-the-world race and is aiming to become the first British winner in 2020.

read more :  https://www.bbc.com/sport/sailing/50283178