HUGO BOSS: Broken mast under investigation

The Ocean Masters New York to Barcelona Race is meant to launch a new era for the IMOCA 60ft monohull class.

It is the first event run by Sir Keith Mills’ Lausanne-based Open Sports Management (OSM), which hopes to help the class grow commercially for the benefit of sailors and sponsors.

The double-handed transatlantic race from New York to Barcelona is to start on June 1, with five Open 60s on the track. Or at least, that is Plan A.

One of the five entries, HUGO BOSS, best known for the flashy fashion worn by skipper Alex Thomson while riding the keel or climbing the mast, broke its mast on May 8 while making the transit across the Atlantic.

American Ryan Breymaier, who is to co-skipper HUGO BOSS with Pepe Ribes in the race, provides an update:

“We do not know why the mast broke; we were sailing upwind and were not pushing, in 25 knots of breeze. But if you had to arrive in any port with a broken rig, Newport is a good one. We arrived on May 11, had the rig out of the boat within the day, and have every resource needed here to make it all happen.

“Southern Spars is doing an investigation to determine if the rig can be fixed. If they give the green light, we hope to have it in the boat on or around the 23rd, so that we can take part in all the pre-race sailing and then do the Ocean Masters New York to Barcelona Race.”

The IMOCA fleet will assemble initially in Newport, Rhode Island, before relocating to Manhattan on May 24. From there, corporate sailing and racing activities will take place in the build up to the start along with other media and promotional activities. The race will start from New York on the June 1 and race across the Atlantic to Barcelona.