03-Feb-2012
Photo: Alex Thomson Keel Walking A Second Time. Photo by Lloyd Images.
You may remember the image from his last attempt several years ago: Alex Thomson dressed in Hugo Boss suit standing on the keel of his 60ft yacht ‘HUGO BOSS’. It’s a great picture, but many people doubted it’s authenticity and thought it might be Photoshopped.
‘Everyone assumes it was ‘Photoshopped’,’ said Alex ‘and I was determined to prove them wrong, so we decided to try again.’ This time Alex decided to get a camera crew involved. And here is what happened…
‘We’ve got a safety boat, a film boat, a jet ski… all we need is a plane, man!’ said Alex Thomson, shortly before heading out into the waters of The Solent in the UK to attempt what he calls ‘The Keel Walk’.
It's easier said than done…the skipper has to sail the yacht at the right speed to keep the keel out of the water long enough for Alex to get on it, you need around 18 knots of wind, a slight sea state and a seriously cool-headed skipper.
SKIPPER’S BIGGEST CHALLENGE:
Getting the keel out of the water and keeping it there requires precision sailing and knowing the boat inside out. From his position at the helm, Ross cannot see either Alex or the jet ski, so he relies on the information given to him by the spotter (port side of stern / left back).
MAJOR RISKS:
- The boat coming down on top of Alex, the jet ski and its driver.
- The wind is unpredictable; a momentary gust or drop will affect the direction and speed of the boat in an instant.
- The keel hitting Alex – 4 tonnes of lead moving at 10mph – the equivalent of being charged by an elephant!
KEEL WALKER: Alex Thomson
YACHT SKIPPER: Ross Daniel
YACHT: IMOCA 60 ‘HUGO BOSS’, Designer Finot-Conq
COMBINED SAILING EXPERIENCE OF CREW: 45 years
WEIGHT OF YACHT: 8.2 tonnes
WEIGHT OF KEEL: 4 tonnes
JET SKI ENGINE SIZE: 255 horsepower
REQUIRED WIND SPEED: 17 – 19 knots
REQUIRED SEA STATE: Slight (waves 0.5 – 1.25 metres)
REQUIRED SAILING SPEED: 9 knots
SAILING ANGLE OF YACHT TO LIFT KEEL OUT OF THE WATER: 45°
MAXIMUM ANGLE OF YACHT: 70°
MAXIMUM SAILING TIME WITH KEEL OUT OF THE WATER: 45 – 60 seconds
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