It’s foils war for battling Alex…

ALEX THOMSON has managed to keep “nipping at the heels” of the Vendee Globe leader despite suffering critical damage to his boat as they raced through the southern seas.

Thomson’s HUGO BOSS lost its starboard foil – one of two which lift the hull out of the water and increase speed – in a collision with an unidentified floating object a week ago.

The British sailor still managed to smash the record from the race start on the French coast to the Cape of Good Hope by five days, but once the fleet reached the Southern Ocean and Thomson lost the ability to foil on a port tack, Banque Populaire VIII skipper Armel Le Cleac’h was able to take charge.

But by last night, halfway into the long drag to Australia in the single-handed round-the-world race, THOMSON: Pragmatic Thomson was neck and neck with his French rival after almost 9,000 miles.

“This is my fourth Vendee Globe and I’ve learned that if I’m to win, there’s no time to feel sorry for myself no matter the situation,” he said.

“To win this race, first you have to finish and obviously losing the starboard foil is a setback, but I’m still racing. I’m still in the front pack and they say that the rich get richer at this stage, so I’m content with how I’m racing.

“Other than the foil, HUGO BOSS is in good shape and I’m happy with how she’s responding, despite the setback.

“I’m going to stay conservative and try to nip at Armel’s heels, if I can.”

FOR dramatic footage of Alex Thomson and HUGO BOSS racing in the Southern Ocean, go to www.express.co.uk/ sport