Sailing - Thomson targets Vendee-Volvo double as he builds new 'total machine'

British round-the-world sailor Alex Thomson puts his yacht Hugo Boss through its paces, reaching speeds of nearly 30 knots, in the Solent, off the south coast of England, Britain August 9, 2018. REUTERS/Alexander Smith

GOSPORT, England (Reuters) - British sailor Alex Thomson is not only aiming to win the next single-handed Vendee Globe, the 44-year-old has set his sights on the fully-crewed Volvo Ocean Race too after a rule change.

To get closer to this goal, Thomson, whose accomplishments as a solo yachtsman and daredevil stunts for his sponsor Hugo Boss have won him global recognition, is building a high-tech 60-foot IMOCA yacht, which will take 40,000 man hours and a year to complete.