1. Alex Thomson Biography 2. What is the Vendée Globe? 3. Yacht 4. Training and Preparations 5. Partnership between Alex Thomson Racing and HUGO BOSS

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1 PRESS KIT // CONTENTS 1. Alex Thomson Biography 2. What is the Vendée Globe? 3. Yacht 4. Training and Preparations 5. Partnership between Alex Thomson Racing and HUGO BOSS

2 ALEX THOMSON - BIOGRAPHY Alex Thomson is one of Britain's most gifted yachtsmen. He is the youngest sailor ever to win a round-the-world race and has already broken three world records. FACTS AND FIGURES Date of birth April 18, 1974 Place of birth Bangor, North Wales Resident in Gosport, Hampshire, England Title sponsor HUGO BOSS Yacht "HUGO BOSS" IMOCA 60 Class Sailing 17 years of experience Race number GBR 99 Inspiration Sir Keith Mills Alex met him during the 1999 Clipper Race and established Alex Thomson Racing with him. Next race Vendée Globe, starting on November 10, 2012 MILESTONES July 2012 Dec Dec Nov Alex breaks record for single-handed transatlantic crossings. Alex and his crew finish fifth in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Alex finishes fourth in the Transat B to B single-handed race. Alex and the Spaniard Guillermo Altadill claim second place in the Transat Jacques Vabre.

3 Jan Alex decides not to compete in the Barcelona World Race after his son is born with a heart defect. Nov Damage to his yacht forces Alex to withdraw before the end of the Vendée Globe. Feb Alex secures second place in the Barcelona World Race, an event for yachts with two-man crews. Dec Breaks his own 24-hour distance record for 60-foot monohull yachts his second distance world record. He covered nautical miles at an average speed of 20.9 knots Third position in the fabled Rolex Fastnet Race 2006 Alex enters the Velux 5 Oceans Race. Due to a damaged keel, his yacht capsizes and he has to give up. He is rescued by his English rival Mike Golding Damage to the deck and no mainsail on the rigging cause Alex to abandon his attempt to win the Vendée Globe Third place in the Defi Atlantique 2003 Second position in the Jacques Vabre 2003 Posts first distance world record, covering 468 nautical miles at an average speed of 19.5 knots 2000 Wins the Round Britain & Ireland Race in the record time of 10 days

4 1999 At the age of 25 Alex wins the Clipper Race 98-99, becoming the youngest ever yachtsman to win a round-theworld race. He still holds this record today. Alex Thomson established his reputation as a solo yachtsman at the very start of his career by breaking the distance world record in However, his first two attempts at single-handed round-the-world races proved unsuccessful, with damage to his yacht forcing him to retire from both the Vendée Globe 2004 and the Velux 5 Oceans Race in In 2008 he claimed second place in the Barcelona World Race. His new goal is to become the first Briton to win the world's toughest yachting race: the 24,000-mile Vendée Globe Ocean for solo yachtsmen. In November 2008, just three weeks before the start of the last Vendée Globe, Alex was involved in a dramatic collision with a French fishing boat. In a desperate race against the clock, his team tried to complete the repairs in record time and ultimately finished in time for Alex to compete. But after just three days, Alex realized that water was seeping through the hull of the HUGO BOSS. An inspection revealed that the yacht could not be repaired fast enough to allow it to re-enter the race. As a result Alex had no choice but to withdraw from the Vendée Globe. However, he is determined to try his luck again in 2012 and realize his dream of becoming the first Briton ever to win the round-the-world race.

5 THE VENDEE GLOBE The Vendée Globe is a non-stop, round-the-world race for solo yachtsmen and - women. Generally regarded as the world's toughest single-handed race, it was founded by Philippe Jeantot in 1989 and now takes place every four years, starting and finishing in Les Sables-d Olonne on France s west coast. The Vendée Globe is the only race of its kind. Regarded as the Everest of offshore yacht racing, it represents a true test of human and mental endurance; a 24,000 mile, three month-long battle against the elements. Given the daunting challenges involved, only 50% of entrants reach the finish line. The 2012 edition will see 20 competitors depart from Sables-d Olonne. Alex Thomson, currently the highest placed British yachtsman in the IMOCA World Championship rankings, is one of only three Brits in the field that otherwise includes one Spanish, two Swiss and 13 French entrants. All of the six previous editions of the race have been won by French yachtsmen. Alex is looking forward to the challenge of breaking this mold.

6 THE BOAT: IMOCA 60 HUGO BOSS Alex Thomson Racing acquired the Farr-designed IMOCA 60 racing yacht in September Launched in 2007, it underwent major improvements focusing on weight with Roland Jourdain under the Veolia Environnement team in 2010 and then won the Route du Rhum. It has previously been raced by the Estrella Damm, BT and Veolia Environnement teams. Racing the Farr-designed IMOCA 60 HUGO BOSS, Alex Thomson finished second in the Transat Jacques Vabre (double-handed with Guillermo Altadill), fourth in the Transat B to B, and fifth in the 2011 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. FACTS AND FIGURES Weight: 8.4 t Mast height: m Length: m Keel: 4.50 m Width: 5.85 m Open 60 monohull designs number among the fastest, modern racing yachts. Made largely of carbon fiber, the boats are designed to be as light as possible and yet strong enough to withstand extreme weather. Their construction is subject to few limitations other than the length (60 ft.), depth from the water to the lowest point of the boat (4.5 m maximum) and the height of the mast (28m). On average, Open 60 yachts weight between eight and ten tons. There are 3km of rope on board the boat, used to hoist a total of about 600 square meters of sail the equivalent of a football pitch. The ropes, or lines, are

7 also used to change the direction of the boat during a tack or jibe. The largest sails can weigh as much as 120 kg more than a rugby player - and Alex can be required to change sails multiple times in a day during a race as the wind conditions change. Open 60 yachts can travel at top speeds of around 30 knots. In 2003, Alex broke the 24-hour distance record for a single-handed sailor on a monohull, sailing nautical miles at an average speed of 19.5 knots. In 2007, he broke the double-handed (two crew) record, sailing 500 nautical miles in 24 hours at an average speed of 20.9 knots.

8 ALEX THOMSON S TRAINING AND PREPARATIONS One challenge faced by Alex Thomson during the race is how to de-prioritize basic human needs such as eating and sleeping under competitive conditions. Yachtsmen and -women can't afford to sleep for long periods, and coping with this unnatural rhythm requires very considerable training. For this reason, Alex begins adjusting his sleep patterns weeks in advance. FITNESS Before the event, Alex needs to prepare his body for the physical trial awaiting it on board his yacht. He can expect to lose up to 12 kilos in weight during the course of the race. The training program, which has been drawn up by his personal trainer Shaun Biddulph, maximizes Alex's strength, fitness and stamina levels. Anyone fighting to keep their footing all day long often on a deck that is heaving violently in the waves needs to be extremely strong. The body also expends lots of energy keeping its temperature steady. It isn't unusual to burn 5,000 calories a day in total. FOOD Given the gruelling physical exertion required to skipper a 60 foot yacht, Alex needs to be able eat his food easily and quickly. And his meals need to consist of the right food and contain an average of 5,000 calories. Freeze-dried dishes like beef stew, venison goulash and chicken curry are mixed with water. In addition to the freeze-dried staples that make up his diet, Alex also has a limited number of snacks like peanuts on board "little luxuries" that keep his spirits up. These snacks play a key psychological role. The simple enjoyment of nibbling on a pack of peanuts can be the absolute climax of a hard day's sailing. Alex himself admits that he often longs for nothing more than a hamburger during his endless weeks at sea. Alex also has a limited daily supply of fresh drinking water which he produces with an onboard desalinator.

9 THE "HUGO BOSS" SETS SAIL By entering the field of yachting in 2003, HUGO BOSS successfully boosted its international profile in the world of sports sponsorship. This premium-level sport perfectly conveys the company's brand values: dynamism, precision and perfection. As such, yachting harmonizes perfectly with the group s other sports sponsorship activities in the realms of Formula One and German Touring Masters racing, golf, tennis and soccer. Now almost into its 10th year, the partnership between Alex Thomson Racing and HUGO BOSS Sailing began in 2003 with the legendary Rolex Fastnet Race off the English coast. Since then the dynamic association has become one of the most successful and enduring partnerships in the sport of yachting. Currently two boats are sailing under the HUGO BOSS logo. Alex Thomson competes in offshore, transatlantic and round-the-world races in an IMOCA 60 Class racing yacht, which has recently been redesigned and upgraded. The hospitality boat, by contrast, serves as a brand ambassador and visits key HUGO BOSS markets around the world such as New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, London, Cape Town and Taipei. The sponsorship agreement also entails outfitting the sailing team with specially designed and produced sailing apparel that can stand up to the vagaries of cold, wind and salt water. The goal of the company's sports sponsorship activities is to position the core brand BOSS in a high-quality, sporting environment and to create unique and memorable experiences. "Yachting is synonymous with energy, passion and perfect aesthetics. As such, our support for this extreme sport is a key component of our brand message," stresses Director of Communication Philipp Wolff.

10 Further information on HUGO BOSS can be found on our website If you have any questions, please contact: Till Pohlmann Head of Sport Sponsorship Phone: +49 (0) Fax: +49 (0)

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