Vendee Globe: Mike in the lead!
Jan 12, 2005 14: 23 EST
After 66 days of racing and over 18000 miles (33300 km), English skipper Mike Golding (Ecover) has taken the lead of the Vendée Globe for the first time in his long sailing career at 1500 GMT today 12 January 2004.
The latest positions are:
1500 GMT 12 January 2004
1. Ecover (Mike Golding) 4838.9 miles from the finish.
2. PRB (Vincent Riou) 23.2 miles from the leader.
3. Bonduelle (Jean Le Cam) 140.6 miles from the leader.
Mike deposes Vincent Riou (PRB) and Jean Le Cam (Bonduelle) who have been reigning since the start on 7 November.
Mike has a lead of 23.2 miles, making 5 more knots boat speed than the chasing duo with by far the best 24 hour performance of the fleet (333.5 miles). The first arrivals in Les Sables d’Olonne are expected between 27 and 30 January...
Eating 811 miles
On Sunday 5 December 2004, while sailing around the southern tip of the African continent, Mike Golding, original favourite in this 5th edition, was 811 miles (nearly 1500 km) from the leader!
At Cape Horn, he was over 250 miles from the leader Jean Le Cam, and is now heading the fleet.
Immense desire to win
The recent episode involving the breakage of his mainsail halyard only served to delay the inevitable takeover by 36 hours. In true battle mode since his entry into the Pacific, Mike makes no secret of his immense desire to win this fantastic race, with his boat in perfect condition just 3 weeks from the finish.
Dismasted in 2000
The big question on everyone’s lips is whether Mike can become the first foreigner to win the Vendée Globe. A just reward indeed for the British skipper that dismasted 8 hours into the race in November 2000, but only time will tell whether this will become a reality with just over 5000 miles to go.
“Clearly it’s a good result this morning but we’ll wait and see how it pans out once we’re through the trough” said a chirpy Mike Golding on his trusty Ecover today.
The boat is really the star of the show
“We may come to a stop but it doesn’t look like that’s going to be the case. I’ve been fortunate to get back so quickly. I think I’m on the right side of the course but we’ll see what it’s like once we’re into the northerlies.
"I’m not terribly surprised at Jean’s loss but knowing him I’m sure he’ll bounce back. I don’t think I’m taking a big chance being out west. Soon I’ll be on a port tack heading away from the coast again on the other side of the system. I’m on a more direct course and it was the only option open to me given the weather.
"The boat is really the star of the show – upwind or downwind. It doesn’t seem to have any particular weakness. The boat does everything it is designed to do and more and downwind it is especially surprising.”
A tired Vincent Riou
23.2 miles behind Mike, a tired Vincent Riou (PRB) wasn’t quite sure what to think of the situation today. “It’s a mixture of excitement and apprehension. I don’t know what to think about our east west spread. I didn’t go west as I was afraid it would finish badly over there, it’s more a decision based on my knowledge of that area rather than the forecast. The forecasts aren’t clear at all.
'Mike’s trying to go north with this airflow and turn right later. Jean must be sailing upwind in the high. It’s all very complex and complicated. I’ve been pushing hard and broke a reefing line. Sailing in between Mike and Jean suits my way of sailing. I know it’s a bigger risk to go west than east so I’m playing it safe in the middle."
Disappointed Jean Le Cam
Jean Le Cam’s voice perfectly mirrored his disappointing 140.6 mile deficit on the leaders today. “I haven’t had any sleep. Conditions are unstable and I’ve been trapped in wind holes with rain and squalls. I have one big wind hole and a bunch of small ones.
Since Cape Horn luck hasn’t been on my side. It’s tough!The wind holes seem to track me down as they weren’t here yesterday. It’s been like that for the past 10 days. There’s nothing I can do. I just hope the forecasts are wrong. You make a sail change and the wind changes, you increase your sail area and the wind increases, you drop some sails and the wind drops off. It’s exhausting and frustrating. There’s nothing more I could do...”
12 men and three women are out on the ultimate in Ocean racing: A single-handed, non-stop and unsupported circumnavigation of Earth. The Vendée Globe is a non-stop 37 000 km voyage from west to east, across three oceans and around three capes. Record holder is Michel Desjoyeaux who completed the 2001 race in just 93 days and 4 hours.
After what seemed like a perfect Atlantic descent the original 20-strong fleet in this the fifth Vendée Globe has been reduced to just 15.
Image of Mike Golding courtesy of Vendee Globe.
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