Intro:

Barcelona World Race-leading yacht Hugo Boss was forced to retire after dismasting off the coast of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil on Thursday (15th January).

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Hugo Boss Skippers Alex Thomson and Pepe Ribes were forced to retire from the Barcelona World Race despite holding a 60-mile lead over the rest of the field.

The Hugo Boss yacht had looked in good shape only to dismast in the South Atlantic Ocean while Thomson and Ribes were undertaking a sail change.

Usually two sails will be up at any one time, but for 10 minutes during the changeover the yacht only had one sail, and it was that one that detached due to a metal bar shearing off.

The mast then went overboard.

The retirement will be a bitter blow to the team, which broke the records for the legs to both Gibraltar and the Doldrums.

The 23,000nm race started on New Year's Eve and is scheduled to last for three months.

Thomson previously finished second in the 2007 edition of the race.