The stylish fashion retailer Hugo Boss is stepping from Formula 1 motor racing into Formula 1 yacht racing with panache in this year's Rolex Fastnet Race.

Hugo Boss, with its flagship store in central London, is sponsoring a sexy new Farr 65 helmed by Alex Thomson of Gosport.

Thomson was the youngest skipper ever in an amateur global yacht race - the Clipper 98.

At 25 he steered his yacht to overall victory, winning each of the six legs. He is also the current holder of the Round Britain Race record.

This seasoned yachtsman together with this thrilling sport encompass the excitement, risk element and glamour that the Hugo Boss Green Label associates itself with.

The Rolex Fastnet race was chosen because of its danger element and the fact that it is the pinnacle of races on the British circuit.

Thomson, who has achieved much in his sailing career to date including solo tranatlantics and the gruelling Sydney to Hobart race, is currently a director of Formula 1 Events, the yacht charter company based in Gosport.

The Farr 65 will showcase at Skandia Cowes Week with guests on board such as TV presenter Davina McCall. The cruiser/racer is currently being completed at HYS in Hamble before being launched.

This first foray into the sailing world by the Hugo Boss livery will certainly turn some heads. This fifth Farr 65 will add to the four 65s already part the fleet of Formula 1 Events charter yachts which do both the Solent and Caribbean circuits.

It lay around just as a hull and deck mould for some years before Thomson commissioned its completion. It will be fitted with a carbon fractional rig, swept back spreaders with a non-overlapping jib and more weight in the keel.

Below decks she will have more comforts with a full saloon. The keel and mast modifications coupled with a full wardrobe of UK Carbon Tape Drive sails have been designed to maximise performance across the board under the IRC handicap system.

With these modifications the performance increase, compared to the existing Farr 65s, is enormous and Hugo Boss will certainly be a contender for winning the Rolex Fastnet Race on corrected time.

The entry in Britain's revered offshore race will be primed with an experienced sailing team of 22 crew made up from the core of Thomson's successful 2001 Fastnet team that raced on one of the original Farr 65s. In that year they finished third in Class 0A and 14th overall on corrected time.

The team includes experienced helm Scott Leith, a 1996 Olympic trialist for New Zealand in the 470 class.

Also on board will be Thomson's brother, David, who is more used to record breaking speed on the maxi catamaran PlayStation. He will be a strong addition to the team in the bowman position.

A new range of Hugo Boss Green Label Active Sportswear is currently being designed to launch in conjunction with the Fastnet race.

The company's relationship with Gore-tex has been in place for many years as the label has worked closely with McLaren for some 22 years and currently supplies gear for the pit crew. A new range will be cutting dashing figures on the shoulders of the crew this August.