Well-known for keeping his foot firmly 'on the gas' Alex Thomson has twice beaten the 24 speed record: in 2003 (468 miles) and again during the previous edition of the Barcelona World Race, between the 6th and 7th of December 2007, when alongside Andrew Cape he sailed 501.3 miles, a record that is still to be beaten and which the Briton aims to top in the upcoming edition of the regatta. The success, that came following some serious setbacks, meant Alex managed to liberate himself of the thorn in his side from an abandoned Vendée Globe 2004, due to technical problems, and the Velux 5 Oceans 2006, where the yacht lost its keel and Thomson was rescued alongside fellow countryman Mike Golding. Alex is also seeking to avenge another race setback: his withdrawal from the Vendée Globe 2008/09 when his entry suffered irreparable damage following a collision with a fishing boat some days ahead of the start.

Andy Meiklejohn has over 100,000 miles under his belt and has sailed in all types of offshore regatta, including the round the world Oryx Quest in 2004 and the Volvo Ocean Race 2005/06. The New Zealander is also an expert in technical and tactical matters. Alex and Andy have known each other for many years, having sailed together for the first time in the Commodore's Cup 2004. Andy joined Alex Thomson Racing at the start of the year with overall responsibility for boat performance and has been a key player in the new team developing the new Hugo Boss. He has sailed over 12,000 miles alongside Alex on the boat, which will surely show when it comes to the race.