mike golding

Mike Golding on board his newly modified IMOCA Open 60 yacht, Gamesa, will once again take on the ‘Everest of the Oceans’ racing round the world, solo and without stops in the Vendée Globe.

Mike Golding and the Vendée Globe 2012
For approximately 90 days, Mike will be racing Gamesa, a 60ft, 8 tonne, hi-tech yacht at significant speeds through some of the world’s toughest oceans. His mission: to become the first Briton to win the Vendée Globe - the most challenging, single-handed, non-stop round the world race.

Gamesa, a global technology leader in the wind industry, embraces this partnership with Mike as it moves forward with its ambitious plans in the UK offshore wind market: launching two offshore platforms and investing over 150 million euro in research and manufacturing.

About Mike Golding
Mike Golding is one of the world’s most accomplished and successful offshore sailors with over 250,000 sailing miles and podium success in many of the world’s toughest and most extreme yacht racing events. 

A ‘Man with a Passion’, Mike will once again be on the start line of the Vendée Globe in Les Sables d’Olonne, France, on 10 November 2012 with his IMOCA Open 60 Gamesa. His mission: to become the first Briton to win this most
challenging single-handed, non-stop, round the world race.

A former career fire-fighter, Mike turned to professional sailing following his dominating campaign and overall win in the BT Global Challenge 1996/7, a crewed round the world race.

He has subsequently achieved podium positions in premier sailing events including the Vendée Globe (solo non-stop round the world), The Transat (solo Atlantic East-West), Defi Atlantique (solo Atlantic crossing West-East), the Route du
Rhum (solo Atlantic crossing East-West), The Transat Jacques Vabre (double handed, transatlantic) and the Calais Round Britain and Ireland.

Mike has held and holds several world records, including the first person to have raced round the world in both directions. He is known as the ‘King of the South’ having set many speed records in the Southern Ocean. In 2007, Mike was awarded the OBE for services to sport (sailing).

Career Highlights
• IMOCA World Champion* 2004 /5 & 2005 /6
• FICO World Champion** 2005/6
• First person to have raced round the world both ways
• Raced round the world five times
• Three times round the world solo
• Three Vendée Globe races, third in 2004/05
• Seven consecutive Transat Jacques Vabre races
• Winner of the BT Global Challenge Round the World 1996/7
• Awarded OBE for services to sailing in 2007

World Records – ‘King of the South’
• Record holder - 1994 – 2001 - single-handed, non-stop record breaking circumnavigation west to east against the
prevailing winds and currents
• Record holder - fastest single-handed, monohull crossing of South Pacific Ocean 16 days 5 hours 26 minutes - set in 2005
• Record holder - fastest single-handed, monohull crossing of Indian Ocean 14 days 2 hours 1 minute - set in 2004
• Record holder - fastest single-handed, transatlantic crossing east to west 12 days, 15 hours - set in 2004

Don't miss the chance to wave bon voyage to Mike Golding and his 60ft boat Gamesa before he sets of on his Vendée Globe - at the Show Friday Public Preview day 14 September on berth M534