It’s hard to imagine that my time at Alex Thomson Racing is coming to a close, but HUGO BOSS is now almost ready to race again.

Montel has been part of the HUGO BOSS shakedown crew. Credit: Alex Thomson Racing

The last week has been pretty full on, as we have been focusing on doing all the final little important jobs so that the boat is ready for its first sail after refit.

Even though the boat is now back in the water there is still a lot to do.

I could tell that the team was determined to get everything done on time as there were days where we worked up to 12 hours to get everything finished.

It’s been quite tiring but we all know that what we’re doing is crucial so everyone is happy to pull together in order to see the benefit at the end of it all.

All the hard work led up to Thursday. This was the first of many shake downs sails before the Route du Rhum.

The shake down sail was our opportunity to see everything that was right with the boat, as well as everything that still needed work after the refit period.

Overwhelmingly there were only a few minor adjustments that were needed to be made before the boat was ready for a genuine sail the next day, so the extra hours that the team had put in truly made a significant difference.

Friday was the day I was really waiting for. This was the day when the boat went out for a proper sail.

The conditions were good with 13-16 knots of wind and HUGO BOSS got up to speeds of 26-30 knots.

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We had some guests onboard the boat and the entire group really enjoyed the experience. No matter how many times the crew – and even Alex himself – go out on the boat, they seem to enjoy every single moment that the boat is flying along, and I do too.

Credit:Alex Thomson Racing

When you see this magnificent piece of kit in action, as it pierces through the water at tremendous speeds, it makes all the hard work worthwhile, and I think the team are definitely satisfied with what they have achieved.

I’m looking forward to seeing what’s to come in the next few weeks, but upset that this experience is nearly over.

Follow Montel and the Alex Thomson Racing team’s progress on Instagram @Alex_Thomson_Racing