Fans of sailing and cool imagery regarding sailing may recall an advertisement photo from a few years ago showing Alex Thomson in a suit standing on the keel of his racing yacht, Hugo Boss, as it was swiftly under sail with the keel free of the water. Many believed the image to have been photo-shopped and Thomson recently set out to prove these people wrong, by attempting the dangerous stunt with cameras rolling (see video).


How dangerous is the stunt? The 60-foot yacht weighs 8.2 tons and the keel alone weighs 4 tons. To allow for a "keel walk" the yacht requires a wind speed of between 17-19 knots; it must sail at 9 knots and at a 45-degree angle to lift the keel out of the water; and it must hold this position for 45-60 seconds.

Thomson, of Alex Thomson Racing, is the keel walker, and Ross Daniel is the skipper, but the unnamed jet-ski driver deserves considerable credit for making this work, after several failed attempts. Clearly, this kind of stunt is only for experts, and even then it's more than a little bit crazy.