Wouter Verbraak, substitute skipper of HUGO BOSS. Barcelona, 30 December 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail
The participating skippers today agreed by an overwhelming majority to support the request of the Hugo Boss Sailing Team.
Wouter Verbraak will be the temporary substitute skipper who will partner Andy Meiklejohn on board Hugo Boss from the start.
This morning the regatta direction of the Barcelona World RACE has received and has passed directly to the jury the request of Hugo Boss Sailing Team for a temporary substitution of its skipper Alex Thomson who had a surgical intervention yesterday to remove his appendix.
This substitution would allow the boat Hugo Boss to start the race on Friday December 31st together with the rest of the fleet. The request included the permission for Alex Thomson, once he has received medical clearance, to board Hugo Boss and continue the race.
On the basis that there was no rule to which they could directly refer, as such a request is not directly covered by the Notice of Race, the International Jury referred the request to Regatta Organisation.
This Race Organisation decided to submit the request to the IMOCA Class for consultation, represented by all of the competing skippers. The skippers voted by an overwhelming majority to accept the request of the Hugo Boss team. In this way the British IMOCA Open 60 can make the start tomorrow December 31st with Andy Meiklejohn and a substitute for Alex Thomson.
December 31st, 2010 at 9:46 am
What a JOKE!!!!!! You dont start you dont race!!! If this was a South African or Aus team would the same have happend, i think now but as it is a Eng team YES!!!! like i say its a JOKE, so is this race!
January 1st, 2011 at 2:05 am
Steve Leo: How in the hell would Boss being english have ANYTHING to do with the way the other teams have voted? This race is a dream all these people work for, and the other skippers recognize that he wants to be part of this adventure. Thank god they are voting and not people like you.
January 2nd, 2011 at 10:05 pm
Hi Mr. Skates,
If you vote against the English the press will kill you and the English sailors know it. If they dont get there way they dont play, like 34th A cup, they wanted boring old boats they like to sail and when it went with the big cats they are out!
Sorry to offend but i know as do so many sailors from SA and Aus the Poms want it there way or they cry about it untill the press forces the people who run the events to changs the rules.
January 2nd, 2011 at 10:49 pm
Steve Leo, obviously a southern hemisphere lad, totally balanced with a chip off both shoulders! A fleet, predominantly and historically French, voting for a Pomm! Yeah right!