British solo sailor Alex Thomson is expected to finish the Vendée
Globe, the non stop around the world race, at around 0700hrs UTC
(0800hrs local time France) this morning.
Thomson should finish in third place, setting a new solo non stop
record for a British skipper, breaking Mike Golding’s mark by nearly
eight days. He will become only the third British sailor ever to
finish on the podium of the famous Vendée Globe after Ellen
MacArthur’s second place in 2001 and Golding’s third in 2005.
For Thomson, who has started this race three times and being forced
out by damage in 2004 and 2008, a third place will mark the pinnacle
of his career to date and deliver a result which he has been chasing
for ten years.
During the race, which started in Les Sables d’Olonne on 10th
November, Thomson twice had to keep his chances of finishing alive by
rebuilding his hydrogenerators – a major repair to the small
waterborne generators which make electricity. He spent a month running
with very minimal power on board, in a state of increasing isolation.
The finish will be broadcast live on www.vendeeglobe.org, commencing
as soon as Thomson enters the channel which leads to the dock. This
traditional passage into the town lasts around 50 minutes. There will
then be short interviews at the dockside, followed by a public podium
interview and a 30 minutes press conference. All are broadcast live.
