Alex Thompson awoke to the sound of crunching carbon in 2016, sailing solo in the Velux 5 Oceans Race off Capetown, South Africa. It was the worst situation possible, his keel damaged, in the southern ocean, solo.

"I was in my bunk grabbing a quick power kip when I was suddenly thrown across the cabin as the boat broached. I ran up on deck and went to ease the mainsail but nothing happened. I then went to try and cant the keel, but again nothing happened. By this stage the boat was leaning right over on its side with the spreaders in the water, so I went back down below to look inside the keel box. The section which attaches the rams to the keel had completely snapped off and the keel was swinging freely. I went back up on deck with the boat still on its side. I took all of the sails down and finally the boat righted itself."

He had to leave his pride and joy floating, or die with it. Of course he bailed, thanks to a nearby competitor and arrived safe on land a few days later. The boat, was never recovered, millions of dollars worth of carbon and sailing gear, left floating in millions of square kilometers worth of ocean.

This was all 10 years ago, and since then Alex Thompson has built several new boats, all called Hugo Boss. You might know him from the stunts he does, walking up the mast, on the keel while sailing, while wearing a fancy suit. He's even had to abandon another boat (also an IMOCA 60), in 2015 off Spain. That one was recovered, only hours after being winched off the boat, they were back with a tug to cut away the rig and tow it back to shore. The old Hugo Boss however, was still missing.

Until now.

10 years later, 13,000 nautical miles away on a beach in Patagonia, South America, Hugo Boss has been found. It's dead, long since taken by the wind and waves in the Southern Ocean, battered on the shore and dragged up to the high tide line in one of the most isolated locations on earth. Patagonia is harsh, and since the boat has been up on dry land for so long, animals have had their way with it, anything of value has been pinched. The entire stern has completely disappeared, and of course so has the rig, which is probably on the bottom of the ocean. Salvaging the hull would cost far more than it's worth, and besides, a 10 year old IMOCA is worthless for racing anyway. In all likelihood, Hugo Boss will remain where it lies on a beach in Patagonia, until the wind weathers away the carbon in 100,000 years...

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