Route Du Rhum: Alex Thomson set to miss out on IMOCA class win after grounding

Alex Thomson spent just under 12 days at sea on board Hugo Boss in the Route Du Rhum

British sailor Alex Thomson looks to have missed out on winning the transatlantic Route du Rhum race after running aground in the closing stages.

Thomson, 44, crossed the finish line in Guadeloupe on Friday, but was handed a 24-hour penalty by race judges.

His IMOCA class Hugo Boss monohull grounded off the north coast when he slept through an alarm and was forced to use his engine to move to safety.

Frenchman Paul Meilhat, currently in second, is now set to win the class.

To do so, he must reach the finish by 12:10 GMT (08:10 local time) on Saturday.

Thomson, from Gosport in Hampshire, had hoped to win the four-yearly race from St Malo in Brittany to the Caribbean island and use it as preparation for the Vendee Globe round the world event in 2020.

The Welsh-born sailor came second in the 2017 Vendee Globe to France's Armel Le Cleac'h, who himself had to withdraw from the Route Du Rhum when his boat capsized off the Bay of Biscay.

"I expected to arrive in Guadeloupe today, not hit it," Thomson said at the finish.

"I was a few hours from arriving and decided to take a sleep for an hour. I put the alarms on and my shockwave watch, but sadly I didn't wake up in time.

"By the time I did, I'd grounded the boat on the rocks. There was nothing to do really apart from take the sails down and reverse the boat off using the engine."

Despite his frustration, Thomson accepted the penalty from the race jury.

"It's understandable and very fair," he added. "I've disqualified myself effectively and it's a real shame as I did a good race I think.

"I'm fortunate we got the boat off in one piece and it's something to learn from. I'm obviously devastated and disappointed.

"Paul will be a worthy winner and I'll be very happy to welcome him when he crosses the finish line."