A New HUGO BOSS Yacht Hits the High Seas
Last week, HUGO BOSS launched an eponymous yacht with one goal in mind: to win the 2020-21 Vendée Globe — considered to be the most gruelling sporting challenge in the world.
Also known as the IMOCA 60, the yacht was launched at an official ceremony on The River Thames in London. British actor and model Poppy Delevingne christened the vessel by pouring champagne over its side. British sailing star Alex Thomson, who will be the boat’s main skipper, was also on hand.
The yacht, which weighs 7.6 tons, was designed and built in partnership with the Alex Thomson Racing technical team, naval architects VPLP, and boat builder Jason Carrington. Industrial designer Karim Rashid conceived the boat’s unique brand identity. It was also built with a focus on improved innovation and sustainability — solar power will be the primary source of energy and an electric motor and battery system was installed with the hope of sailing around the world competitively without fossil fuels.
The IMOCA 60 was made almost solely from carbon fibre and the iconic BOSS logo was created from silver carbon. Its cockpit was placed inside the boat to act as a greater shield from the elements. The boat also features some revolutionary technologies, from onboard sensing devices to camera systems.
The yacht will make its official debut on October 27 when Thomson competes in the Transat Jacques Vabre race from France to Brazil. It will then set sail at the Vendée Globe — ‘the Everest of sailing’ — on November 8, 2020. Expect Thomson to push the limits of what is possible — and thanks to the vessel he’ll be in, what’s possible has just been redefined.
