Vendee Globe / Mike Golding, the first skipper to finish three times !

Mike Golding, skipper of Gamesa, crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe at 18:38:26 UTC/GMT on Wednesday 6 February in 6th place, becoming the first person in the 24 year history of the solo, non-stop, round the world race, to finish successfully three times. Golding completed the iconic course in 88 days 6h 36m 26s, racing over 27,281 miles.

Credit : JM Liot/Vendee Globe

Vendee Globe / Mike Golding addresses keel issue; he's searching for solution at sea

Mike Golding onboard Gamesa has been working for the past 24 hours to resolve an issue with his keel. Investigations over the side of the boat with a camera yesterday evening revealed that the front fairing of the keel olive has been lost. With only ten days remaining for this, Golding's fourth Vendée Globe, solo, round the world race, a solution needs to be sought immediately to ensure Golding can reach the finish line in Les Sables d'Olonne, France.

Credit : M.Lloyd

Vendee Globe / Mike Golding Rounds Cape Horn For Sixth Time ! Remembers

Britain's Mike Golding OBE, on board Gamesa, during the 2012-2013 Vendée Globe celebrates becoming the first person in the world to race three times round Cape Horn in both directions - east to west and west to east. He rounded the fearsome Cape Horn today, Wednesday 9 January, at 02:05 GMT, becoming the only person to have raced around this infamous rock three times each way: west to east and east to west.

Credit : M.Golding/Gamesa

Vendee Globe / Mike Golding's feeling about Bernard Stamm, Alex Thomson in the direction of Cape Horn [#VG2012]

Commenting immediately after being told the news that Bernard Stamm was disqualified from the Vendée Globe for receiving outside help, Golding said, "While the decision might technically be correct, it doesn't feel right. Bernard, perhaps more than others, has worked extremely hard to get to this Vendée Globe and is a great competitor.

Credit : M.Golding/Gamesa

Vendee Globe / Mike Golding :"I must have done something wrong in a former life" (ITW)

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

Logbooks / Alex Thomson back in the breeze, Mike Golding back on track

Day 29 – "Morning, after a few painful hours last night where the wind died right down to about 6 knots, I’m back in the breeze again this morning and am up and running. It’s quite gusty, as high as 28 knots at times, so no Sunday morning relaxing for me as I’ve been busy putting reefs in and taking them out again.

Credit : A.Thomson

Vendée Globe / Mike Golding and Alex Thomson in tough conditions

After a brutal 48 hours of tough, unstable conditions, big, untidy seas and winds which varied massively in strength, Mike Golding is consolidating this morning in slightly lighter winds making 13-14kts as he tries all he can to stay in touch with the leading group of five on the Vendée Globe.

Credit : M.Golding/Gamesa

Vendée Globe / Mike Golding passed the most isolated settlement, da Cunha (video)

As he heads down towards the Southern Ocean on Day 20 of the Vendée Globe, Mike Golding, skipper of Gamesa, passed the world's most isolated settlement, Tristan da Cunha. 
"In the background there is Tristan da Cunha. A tiny little island and somehow it came up smack in the middle of my track. It's been a real fight getting round it. It's a little bit of Britain in the middle of the Atlantic, 250 people and seven surnames. It looks amazing ….. It is a very ominous looking island; it does look very beautiful."

Vendée Globe / It is time for Jean Le Cam to attack his British friend

Jean Le Cam (SynerCiel), in his inimitable fashion, was broadcasting his own message to the fleet and particularly those he believes are in his sights. “The boat is going so fast, I left the Swiss (Dominique Wavre (Mirabaud) behind and it’s now time to attack my British friend. The next ones to pass are foreigners. First Golding, then a Swiss (Stamm), then another Brit (Thomson), I’m definitely into international hunting. 

Credit : M.Lloyd/DPPI

Vendee Globe / Mike Golding is about to cross Equator for 22nd time (video)

British solo racer Mike Golding will cross the Equator later today – his 22nd crossing in his sailing career. While he has had better passages through the Doldrums than he has experienced over the last 48 hours on the Vendée Globe, he has certainly had much worse. Having caught up some 200 miles on the race leader, and now feeling like he is again in touch with the ‘peloton’, he took time to briefly reflect.

Vendee Globe / Mike Golding :"Is it only six days, but it feels like a lot longer"

As Mike Golding looks forward to completing his first full week of his fourth Vendée Globe tomorrow, Saturday 17 November, the British skipper has been facing a frustrating time dealing with a wide band of high pressure which is making for light and unsettled breezes as he tries to improve his eighth place position today.

Credit : M.Golding

Vendee Globe / Mike Golding :"Tomorrow, I will just want to get across the start line quickly"

Less than 24h to the start of Mike Golding OBE's fourth Vendée Globe start "Great atmosphere; very exciting"

Credit : Lloyd Images

Vendee Globe / Mike Golding :"I'm here to try to win it"

Five days to go before the start of the 2012-2013 Vendée Globe and Britain’s Mike Golding OBE is ready for the start of his fourth entry in the brutal race which is acknowledged as the pinnacle of solo ocean racing. The boat is packed, the final jobs list is completed and the 150kg of food for the 25,000 mile race around the planet is on-board.

Credit : M.Lloyd/DPPI/Vendee Globe

Vendee Globe / Back in Les Sables, Mike Golding :"Really good to be back !"

MIKE GOLDING is back in the very familiar surroundings of Les Sables d’Olonne after arriving last night into the Port Olona marina with his IMOCA Open 60 Gamesa, following a fast and pleasingly uneventful passage from Southampton, UK.

Credit : B.Gergaud

MOD70 Foncia and Oman Sail break the Record in the Artemis Challenge

The Artemis Challenge proved to be a record breaking* race around the Island for the MOD70s Foncia and Musandam-OmanSail today. Race management yesterday made a last minute change to the sailing instructions to allow the MOD70s to race for the record, due to the strong weather forecast. Starting at 10:00 BST, on Ladies Day at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, it took Foncia only 2 hours, 21 minutes, 25 seconds to round the Isle of Wight, breaking the current record by over ten minutes. Close racing between the trimarans meant Musandam-OmanSail finished a mere 1 minute and 28 seconds behind their French competitor.

Credit : Lloyd Images

Imoca / Mike Golding and Gamesa to compete in Artemis Challenge tomorrow

Mike Golding, skipper of Gamesa, will be competing for charity on Thursday 16 August, as he races the 50 nautical mile course round the Isle of Wight, in a bid to win the Artemis Challenge for a second time. Golding, who is sponsored by Gamesa will set off in just 87 days from Les Sables d’Olonne, France, for his fourth consecutive Vendée Globe (solo, non-stop round the World). He’ll be bidding to win the Artemis Challenge and raise funds for Gamesa’s nominated charity, Save the Children.

Credit : Gamesa

MOD70 and Imoca race for charity in the Artemis Challenge

The sixth edition of the Artemis Challenge at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week will see two MOD 70 foot multihulls and two IMOCA Open 60 monohulls race around the Isle of Wight on Thursday, 16th August, and all for a good cause. Some of the biggest names in offshore racing will compete in this unique charity race alongside some of Britain’s best Olympic sailors and a few ‘famous faces’ to claim £12,000 for their nominated charities.

The multihull teams will consist of French offshore legend Michel Desjoyeaux onboard his MOD 70 Foncia and Musandam-Oman Sail, with fellow French sailing star Sidney Gavignet. The IMOCA Open 60 teams will see two Olympic British sailors sharing the helm of Artemis Ocean Racing II. British Vendée Globe hero Mike Golding will line-up on the Royal Yacht Squadron start line on board his IMOCA 60 Gamesa, assisted by two more British Olympic sailing personalitites.

Imoca / Gamesa Enters the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race

In the build-up to Mike Golding’s November Vendée Globe start, the Southampton-based skipper has officially entered his IMOCA 60, Gamesa, into the 2012 J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. The annual race, organised by the Island Sailing Club, is a one-day yacht race around the Isle of Wight. 

Credit : Gamesa

ITW / Gamesa dismasted, Mike Golding :"It was a quiet day, you wouldn’t have expected any sort of failure like that"

Following the failure of the furling gear and subsequent dismasting yesterday, 2 May, of Mike Golding’s 60 foot IMOCA, Gamesa, Mike, and his Boat Captain, Graham Tourell, speak candidly about the importance of the results of tomorrow’s ultrasound testing and the plan going forward ….

Credit : Gamesa

Imoca / Mike Golding finishes Transat B to B in fourth position

British solo ocean racing yachtsman Mike Golding, racing his IMOCA Open 60, Gamesa, crossed the finish line of the 2,620 miles Transat B to B solo transatlantic race off the north west corner of Spain in fourth place this morning. Completing his first major solo ocean race since December 2008, Golding was only 3h 28 mins off third place, which was taken by 2004-5 Vendée Globe winner, Vincent Riou on PRB.

Credit : Gamesa Sailing