Walking the Plank was a historical means of punishment aboard pirate ships, but what has Vendee Globe sailor Alex Thomson done to deserve this soaking? Perhaps sponsors Hugo Boss were unhappy with Thomson’s Fastnet result!

Having already tried his hand at foiling, last week round-the-world sailor Alex Thomson went keel walking on his IMOCA Open 60 HUGO BOSS in the Solent.

Alex explained: “I’ve wanted to stand on the keel while sailing for a couple of years, and last week in 17-20 knots of breeze I stood on the keel whilst sailing wearing a HUGO BOSS suit. It was pretty dangerous but a real buzz.”

The Hugo Boss PR stunt is certainly an eye-catcher, with the IMOCA 60 fully heeled over with canting keel exposing a platform for Mark Lloyds superb stunt shots. It also demonstrates the superior stability of these fat open designs. But it still seems like a bit of a waste of a nice suit doesn’t it?

To find out more about Alex, visit www.alexthomsonracing.com .

Pictures by Mark Lloyd: Mark Lloyd/Lloyd Images