Yachtsman Dives Off Mast — Says It's the Stupidest Thing He's Ever Done

Yachtsman Dives Off Mast — Says It's the Stupidest Thing He's Ever Done

The latest daredevil whose stunt has gone viral is admitting it was “the most stupid thing I've ever done.”

Alex Thomson is known for his sailing. The British yachtsman has sailed professionally for 16 years. Designer Hugo Boss sponsors his race team and provided quite the backdrop and attire for a feat the company has called “#mastwalk.” For it, Thomson runs up the mast of his yacht as it cruises through the ocean. the mast slanted to a 60-degree angle. He calmly collects himself, throws his sunglasses into the pocket of his black suit, and dives about 30 meters (nearly 100 feet) down into the ocean.

The stunt was performed near Cadiz, Spain. Video of the event has been viewed more than a million times since Thomson's YouTube channel posted it on March 3.

"I was appreciating perhaps it wasn't safe at all, and there were some hairy moments when we were practicing,” he told CNN. The 37-year-old practiced with a stunt coordinator for two days. “I remember one time I was halfway up when the boat suddenly tacked, and I was just left hanging from the mast. Obviously, falling from that height from the mast onto the deck isn't advisable.”

Ross Daniel steered the yacht, a job Thomson says was “more nerve-racking” than diving off the mast. Thankfully, for all parties involved, the stunt went off without a hitch.

Thomson did not use a harness, but his outfit was made specifically for the occasion. He told one person on Twitter that “the suits were all water-resistant” and joked, “yes the dry cleaning bill was huge.” Hugo Boss and its racing team used more than 20 suits for the stunt.

The sailor told CNN he still is not entirely sure why he went through with the stunt, but now he seems to be recruiting other people to try it out with him.

“@JaredLeto fancy coming sailing with us again and giving the #mastwalk a try?” Thomson asked the Oscar winner on Twitter. Leto hopped aboard the Hugo Boss yacht last summer and modeled for the company's Red fragrance in August.