At 23.48 GMT on the 28th January 2008, Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape re-crossed the Equator onboard HUGO BOSS and began the final push towards the Mediterranean finish line in Barcelona, Spain. Currently lying in second place behind French boat Paprec Virbac II, Thomson and Cape have their eyes firmly set on the frontrunners. With a little under 3,000 nautical miles to race, anything is possible with the ever unpredictable Doldrums and Mediterranean standing in their way.

Reaching the Equator for the second time in this race is a huge milestone for Thomson and Cape who set off from Barcelona 79 days ago. Despite being forced to stop for repairs in Wellington in late December, HUGO BOSS has managed to stay in contact with the leader, reducing its deficit from 800 nautical miles to 458 at the last position report.

Thomson commented: “Having crossed the Equator, Capey and I really feel like we are on our way home. Our trusty bottle of Jonnie Walker was brought out to mark the occasion and we sat in the cockpit under a million stars and waxed lyrical about our journey so far. We still have about 3,000 nautical miles to go, so we can’t relax yet. We are happy with our position at the moment; however, with the unpredictable conditions of the Doldrums and the Mediterranean still to come, you never know, there may be a chance to get within striking distance of the lead.”

HUGO BOSS is expected to arrive into Barcelona around 15th February after approximately 95 days at sea.