Barcelona World Race, "ALEX 99" sunglasses aboard with HUGO BOSS

25/01/2011
At 13:00 on 31 December 2010, 14 boats left Barcelona on a 25,000-mile sailing race around the world two-handed – non-stop over some three months. Among these was the yacht HUGO BOSS, an IMOCA 60 sailed by the partnership of Andy Meiklejohn from New Zealand (34) and Wouter Verbraak from the Netherlands (35). Verbraak came in as a last-minute replacement for the British skipper owner Alex Thomson (36) who underwent an emergency appendectomy 48 hours before the off. Boat and crew are supported by HUGO BOSS and HUGO BOSS Eyewear, the brand that includes ranges of spectacles and sunglasses produced by Safilo on licence from the German BRAND. As part of that collaboration, Safilo has designed and produced a special model of sunglasses, the “ALEX 99”, now worn by the crews of the HUGO BOSS.

HUGO BOSS Eyewear and “ALEX 99” sunglasses
“ALEX 99” sunglasses feature a wraparound and aerodynamic injection-moulded shape, which gives a sporty look and a bold personality. The style is decorated with a metal insert featuring the HUGO BOSS logo engraved between the front and the earpieces, while on the inside it is customised with the legend “ALEX 99” script, referring to the name of the skipper and the sail number of the boat. The sunglasses are also available with high-quality polarised lenses that provide excellent vision and cut down glare, making them perfect for outdoor sporting activities. “ALEX 99” sunglasses (ref. BOSS 0338/s) are available in matt black with grey lenses, shiny black with grey lenses, blue with grey lenses, Havana with brown lenses, aluminium with grey polarised lenses and white with grey lenses.

Safilo for HUGO BOSS
During 2010 “ALEX 99” glasses featured at all the best opticians between 1 October and 15 November as stars of a competition specially for all sailing fanatics, entitled “Barcelona World Race @ The start with HUGO BOSS”. The public competition, held in five European countries – Italy, Spain, France, Germany and the UK – began on 1 October 2010 and closed on 15 November. A cornerstone of the initiative – backed by an advertising campaign in a number of leading European sports magazines, and by intensive promotional activities in major stores – was a website in five languages packed with information about the product, the yacht and its skipper, Alex Thomson. A winner was drawn for each country: they got a prize consisting of a four-day trip for two to Barcelona (30 December 2010 to 2 January 2011). There in the capital of Catalonia, the winners and their partners spent an unforgettable year’s end soaking up the special atmosphere of a challenging yacht race, taking a close look at the HUGO BOSS, meeting its crew and enjoying a front-row seat on board a spectators’ launch for the start of the Barcelona World Race.

HUGO BOSS, Alex Thomson and the yacht
HUGO BOSS has been actively involved in sailing since 2003, when it first sponsored the HUGO BOSS yacht and Alex Thomson in the legendary Rolex Fastnet Race off the British/Irish coast. Over the years, the international fashion group has sponsored not only sailing, but also Formula One, golf, soccer and tennis. With its unparalleled grace, dynamic energy, and gorgeous aesthetics, sailing is the ideal choice to round out the HUGO BOSS sports sponsorship program.
Thirty-six-year-old Alex Thomson is a major record-breaking talent in international yachting. He first entered the international spotlight at 25, when he won the 1998/9 Clipper Race, becoming the youngest skipper ever to win a round-the-world yacht race. In 2003, Alex set the monohull 60’ world distance record, covering an amazing 468 miles in 24 hours at an average speed of 19.5 knots. He broke his own record during the Barcelona World Race in 2007, covering 501 miles at an average speed of 20.9 knots.
Launched in May 2010, HUGO BOSS has been redesigned by Juan Kouyoumdjian and optimised for solo sailing.
Class: IMOCA 60 - Weight: 10.5 t - Length: 18.28 m - Beam: 6.5 m - Mast height: 31.65 m.

Safilo
The Safilo Group is worldwide leader in the premium eyewear sector and maintains a leadership position in the prescription, sunglasses, fashion and sports eyewear sectors. Safilo distributes the proprietary branded collections and the licensed branded collections in the international market through exclusive distributors and 32 subsidiaries in primary markets (U.S.A., Europe and Far East).

Press Office:
Safilo, tel. +39.049.6985111, email baldoi@safilo.com 
ISM Italia, tel. +39.02.733403, email abagno@ismitalia.it

Web: www.barcelonaworldrace.org, www.alexthomsonracing.co.uk, www.imoca.org, www.hugoboss.com, www.safilo.com

Last update: 25/01/2011, 12:40