Mike Golding Onboard 'Team Group 4' Finishes Third In The 40th Europe 1 New Man Singlehanded Trans Atlantic Race

Southampton based, record breaking, round the world singlehanded yachtsman, Mike Golding has achieved in 3rd place in the Europe 1 New Man Singlehanded Trans Atlantic Race which left Plymouth, England on the 4th June 2000, arriving in Newport, Rhode Island, USA late on Monday night 19th June 2000 (USA time) after 15 days 14 hours and 50 minutes at sea.

Since the start gun fired Mike Golding has been plagued with technical hitches, making his final position of third place a remarkable feat of drive, determination and skill. During the last twenty four hours the battle for second and third position has been a race in itself, as Golding and old rival Roland Jourdain onboard Sill le Beurre de Gall found themselves head to head, once again in a battle for the podium; a situation reminiscent of October's Transat Jacques Vabre, when Golding stole third place from Jourdain in the final twenty four hours.

Golding has completed the final 300 miles of the course with only one daggerboard functioning, a leaking sail hold and low fuel. He was able to gain advantage on the rest of the fleet by taking a meteorological gamble and steering a more northerly course, which enabled Golding to gain over thirty crucial miles, and take on Jourdain. In the end the Frenchman got the breeze, arriving in Newport just over an hour ahead of Golding.

On the start line Golding was hampered by the loss of control of his hydraulic swing keel, which swung like a loose pendulum beneath his boat until he was able to fix it and run it on a back up system. On the second day into the race Golding narrowly avoided a collision with a container ship that decided to play oceanic chicken with his Open 60 'Team Group 4'.

Mid Atlantic, the fleet was scuppered by ferocious storms, which dismasted three open 60's and during which, Golding discovered a crack in his starboard daggerboard that let in over a tonne of water into the sail hold. The crack was later to be worsened by a late night collision with a solid, submerged object, which broke the daggerboard and rendered it useless.

Yet despite all of these events Golding has driven his Open 60 'Team Group 4' to the - very limit and managed to secure third place in the 40th Anniversary of the Europe 1 New Man Singlehanded Trans Atlantic Race. 'Team Group 4' is a downwind optimised Open 60 especially designed to participate in the Vendee Globe 2000. Golding is delighted with 'Team Group 4's' performance in what has been essentially an upwind slog. " I have been pleased with our upwind capability. " Says Golding, " We have made definite gains in this area since the Around Alone and the fact that we are first of the Finot designed boats gives me great confidence for the Vendee Globe".

Group 4 Securitas (International) has operations in over 40 countries, employs more than 82,000 people worldwide and has an annual turnover in excess of £675 million.

Official Suppliers to 'Team Group 4' include: 

• BT for communications 
• Henri-Lloyd for clothing 
• Peugeot for support vehicles 
• Lease Products for financial Services

Article courtesy of MPR.

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