Mike Golding spoke to Vendée Globe TV live by videolink on Saturday. Here is the transcript in which he talks of his frustration of being stuck in hole, how he still has podium hopes and - yes, he said it, how he's glad Jean Le Cam is close.
Credit : M.Golding/Gamesa
VGTV: "How are you feeling Mike?"
Mike Golding: "I’m frustrated, I think Jean (Le Cam) and I must have done something wrong in a former life to end up in this hole. We’re just sat here and we can’t break through into the tropical depression which I think both of us were anticipating doing. The result is we’re just kind of lolloping here behind the trough unable to break through it but it’s blocking our way basically, it’s going slower than we are able to go but we just keep butting up against it and we’re stuck here until the next system actually catches up with us which hopefully will happen later on today."
VGTV: "Mike, we’ve some fantastic speeds at the front of the fleet, it must be doubly frustrating because you know exactly what it’s like to charge across the Indian Ocean and indeed the Pacific to come, where we may see your own record challenged by Francois?
MG: "It is frustrating, but to be honest if we were going I think those boats, the new boats, do seem to have a bit of an edge in these conditions and while they say you don’t need the fastest boat to win the Vendee in the south here it certainly helps to pull a lead out. But it’s one thing having a lead but er they have actually made a real big jump here and I don’t think there’s anything anyone could have done about it, you just have to watch how quickly Hugo Boss and Virbac have fallen back from the leaders, you know, there’s nothing you can do about it, it’s er quite frustrating."
VGTV: "What are your immediate aims over the next 24-48 , get out of this trough and get ahead of Jean?"
MG: "That’s the goal and whereas Jean got me all in one, I think it’s going to have to be death by a thousand cuts for Jean (laughs), because I’m just doing it, nibbling away at it. I think with weather forecast as it is, that’s the way it’s going to be, but I mean to be honest it is great having Jean close by and it was frustrating to lose some miles to him, but the nice thing about having a boat close by is that it kind of keeps you honest and makes sure that you’re pushing and working the boat properly and having someone of the calibre of Jean gives you extra reassurance that you’re not doing too much wrong it’s just the conditions around you.
From : Vendée Globe
