Former fireman Mike Golding became a full-time
pro sailor in 1992 when he was selected as a
skipper in Sir Chay Blyth's British Steel
Challenge.
Since then he has risen
to become one of Britain's best solo sailors and
is among the Vendee Globe favourites.
Golding, 44, is the only
Briton to have sailed single-handed and non-stop
around the world in both directions. He has lapped the planet
five times - three times solo - and raced in the
2001 Vendee Globe, finishing seventh.
Mike
Golding
Golding's dreams of
Vendee Globe glory were shattered three years ago
just eight hours after the start when his boat
Team Group 4 was dismasted. He restarted eight days
later and fought his way back up through the
24-boat fleet to finish seventh, and fourth
fastest on the water, a feat overshadowed by Ellen
MacArthur's second place.
In his youth, Golding
raced dinghies, keelboats and yachts and competed
in his own trimaran Gazelle in the single-handed
transatlantic race and Round Britain and Ireland
Race. In 1992-93, Golding and
his crew of 13 amateurs on Group 4 finished second
in the British Steel Challenge by just 70 minutes
after 151 days of sailing.
The following year he
sailed non-stop around the world westabout against
the prevailing winds and currents, beating Blyth's
record by 125 days and setting a new world
circumnavigation record of 161 days. Golding entered the
1996-97 British Steel race - renamed the BT Global
Challenge - in Group 4, winning five of the six
legs to triumph overall. Since then Golding has
enjoyed success in a host of solo and short-handed
races, and has taken delivery of a new Open 60
Ecover as he continues his quest to excel in the
solo ocean racing arena.
Boat: Ecover
Born: 27/07/60
Lives: Warsash, Hants
Family: Married to Andrea, 18-month-old son
Soren
Vendee Globes: 1
MIKE GOLDING ON ECOVER TAKES
THIRD - Friday, February 4, 2005 - 05:00
AM
It was at 03 hours 17
minutes and 13 seconds GMT this Friday 4th February
2005 that the 60 foot monohull Ecover skippered by
Mike Golding crossed the finish line of the Vendée
Globe 2004, a single-handed race, without stopovers
and without assistance and most significantly without
his keel for the finish of the Sables d’Olonne
(France). Golding sailed the last 50 miles of the race
without his keel.
Cover
on the River Thames
The race time to make the 23 680
miles is 88 days 15 hours and 15 minutes and 13
seconds at an average theoretical speed across the
course of 11.13 knots.
References (GMT) :
Start and finish : Les Sables d’Olonne (France)
Number of miles to cover : 23 680 miles
Start date : Sunday 7 November 2004 at 1202 GMT
Date of first arrival : Vincent Riou (PRB) on
Wednesday 2 February 2005 at 22hr 49mn 55sec.
Date of second arrival : Jean Le Cam (Bonduelle) on
Thursday 3 February 2005 at 05hr 22mn 08sec.
Race time : 87 days 17 hours 20 minutes 08 seconds.
Delay behind leader : 1 day 4 hours 27 minutes 18
seconds.
Mike Golding’s Race (Ecover) :
Passage of the equator (outward trip) : 18 November
2004 at 1500 GMT after 11 days 2 hours and 58 minutes
Passage of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) : 3rd
December 2004 at 1615 GMT after 26 days 04 hours and
13 minutes
Passage of Cape Leeuwin (Australia) : 15 December 2004
at 0900 GMT after 37 days 20 hours and 58 minutes
Passage of Cape Horn (Chile) : on 04 January 2005 at
0115 GMT after 57 days 13 hours and 13 minutes
Passage of the equator (return) : on 19 January 2005
at 2130 GMT after 73 days 09 hours and 28 minutes
