Golding's countdown begins for Artemis Transat
'Mike Golding aboard ECOVER 3'
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The countdown to the 'Everest of the Sea' - the Vend?e Globe - begins today for Mike Golding, one of Britain's top offshore sailors. It is four months until thirty IMOCA Open 60's from seven nations line up for the start of the single-handed, non-stop race around the world. The intrepid skippers will leave for the 24,000-mile, three-month race from the small fishing port of Les Sables d'Olonne on the west coast of France.
For Golding, this will be the third time he has taken part in this epic race. The last edition in 2004 saw him narrowly miss out on a chance of claiming the top prize after the finishing in third place, gaining the accolade of being the only sailor in the history of the race to finish without a keel! The solo sailors face some of the most challenging conditions on earth with over a third of the voyage spent in the harsh conditions of the Southern Ocean. From the moment the start gun sounds on November 9th, it will be a flat out sprint 24/7 until the finish in February 2009.
Golding will be racing onboard his brand new IMOCA Open 60 ECOVER 3, among the international fleet he will be joined by six other British sailors, including Alex Thomson onboard HUGO BOSS, who Mike rescued in the Southern Ocean during the 2006 Velux 5 Oceans Race.
'It is a challenge like no other both mentally and physically. For me it is unfinished business, we came so close in the last edition of the race to winning the ultimate goal. This event only comes around every four years, so for the solo offshore sailor it is like our equivalent of the Olympic Games,' comments Golding.
It is the first time in the history of ocean racing that so many new boats have been built for a race. For many of the competitors heading out it will be their first Vend?e, and it has been likened to doing a parachute jump for the first time. For those, such as Golding, who have been there before, it is the knowledge of what comes after the jump! 'Whilst there are so many technological choices the boats still remain very, very close to each other in performance because we are butting against the boundaries of what is absolutely possible right now. But the old adage has never been so true that to win you have to finish and finish you have to be safe. It is clear that with the advances in technology and radical design choices there will be breakages, so it will be interesting to see how this huge fleet contends with the what is thrown at them'.
ECOVER 3 was launched in September 2007 and Mike has competed in two transatlantic races since then, The Transat Jacques Vabre and Ecover B-toB race. In 2008 Mike and his team have been back in the shed for an extensive re-fit. 'The new design allows us to push harder and faster than every before, but it is clear that we need to be safe out there and ultimately make it around the world in one piece!'
ECOVER 3 has undergone several changes to the ballast and engine system as well as a new keel. 'It was important to bring everything back to basics and have a system in place which I knew would work under pressure. It is great to have had the opportunity to test her in race conditions and sort out what did and didn't work.'
Mike's first outing in British waters onboard ECOVER 3 since the re-fit saw him take the IMOCA Open 60 class win at the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. 'It was a good way to a measure up with the other boats in the class, again ECOVER 3 has proven to be reliable and powerful, and I am happy. I feel more confident about the set-up onboard, my shore team have done a fantastic job, and I am looking forward to some solo sailing in preparation for the job ahead'.
During July Mike will head to sea for a series of solo sailing trials, before the next IMOCA Open 60 race, the Artemis Challenge on Tuesday 5th August. It will be the last time the Vend?e Globe 'Brit Pack' will line up against each other before the start line in November in France.
Alongside his job at sea, Mike is involved with the several activities on land, including The Green Blue, a joint environmental initiative by the Royal Yachting Association and the British Marine Federation. Its aim is to promote the sustainable use of coastal and inland waters by boating and watersports participants, and the sustainable operation and development of the recreational boating industry.
Today Mike is the keynote speaker to a group of MP's, Peers and senior Government officials on sustainable boating. He will be sharing his experiences as well as outlining the proactive steps being taken by the Royal Yachting Association and the British Marine Federation as part of the three-year Green Blue programme being run with DEFRA.
View the 2008/09 Vend?e Globe promotional video: click here
For more information on the Vend?e Globe: click here
For more information on the Green Blue: click here
by Vicki Low - Mike Golding Racing 
Thirroul, NSW
