How do you feel now after this long adventure – well rested or restless?

I am feeling surprisingly well rested. After the 2012/13 edition it took a few weeks to get my sleeping pattern back to normal but this time I have managed to get back into a more regular sleeping pattern pretty quickly. I’m enjoying spending time with my family and friends and just getting back to normal.

The support during the race was incredible. My team sent me all of the messages of support from social media each day and it really did encourage me to keep going throughout the race. It was definitely a mental booster.

What was the toughest time?
The toughest time was when my starboard foil broke on my way down the Atlantic. Sailing the boat on port tack was difficult without the foil and the boat was incurring around a 30% speed deficit whilst sailing on that tack. It was extremely frustrating and it was very hard for me to remain positive and carry on fighting throughout the race at first.

Most sportsmen hurry on to the next event after they’ve finished – you got to stay and savour your feat with Armel and enjoy the atmosphere in Ollon. Is that a major thing about this race – to be able to digest it all and exchange experiences? How deep does the rivalry between skippers run?

Yes, the arrival back into Les Sable d’Olonne is incredible, from the channel, all the way to the pontoon and race village, there are tens of thousands of people waving you back in and the atmosphere is incomparable. Being greeted by Armel on the pontoon and being able to shake hands and share experiences from the race is an amazing feeling after competing for so long. Although we were fighting for first place throughout the race, the rivalry in this race can’t run deeply because when we are out there alone at sea most of the time the only people who can save us are our rivals.

“The arrival is incredible with tens of thousands of people waving you back in. Being greeted by Armel on the pontoon and sharing experiences from the race is an amazing feeling after competing for so long.”

What’s been the main difference in this Vendée Globe and the past one? Are you a better, more experienced sailor now than the last time?
I am definitely a more experienced skipper now than I was in the previous edition of the race. The main difference in this edition of the race though was the speed that these boats can now reach.

You broke the 24h record – what’s been the main difference between sailing this boat and the old one?
I broke the 24h record whilst sailing on starboard tack and using my remaining foil and it is the addition of the foils which has really been the main difference between sailing my new boat compared with my old boat. The foils are what makes these boats reach these new speeds by lifting the boat out of the water, creating less drag.
Is there, in fact, a conflict when it comes to making a faster boat which is also strong enough to endure the race?
There is a fine line between speed and reliability. You have to design and build a boat which is the fastest and yet reliable enough to make it around the world.

What’s next? You did a skywalk for Boss and other stunts – who comes up with these ideas?
I thought of the initial concept for each viral video. Which were then developed and made possible by the team. There are no plans as yet but watch this space.

Standing on the sky –

Despite a missing foil Alex Thomson came second in the Vendée Globe, just 16 hours after the French skipper, Armel Le Cleac’h.