GOLDING COULD DO WITH SOME RAIN

by MIKE GOLDING on 30 Dec 2000 DATE: Friday, 29th December, 2000.

Team Group 4 is sailing in stable northerly conditions in the Vendee Globe
race. Skipper Mike Golding reports that although the weather is light, he
is still making good progress, alternating between his genniker and
genoa to increase speed. Golding was happy to hear that the yachts at the
front of the fleet have almost no wind at all and have slowed right down.
Having restarted the race eight days and four hours behind the rest of the
fleet, Golding needs all the help he can get to improve on his current 14th
position.

Golding anticipates that the lighter conditions will last for the next two
to three days, which will give him the opportunity to continue to sort out
technical problems on board Team Group 4. The watermaker is still a problem
and is now making saltier and saltier water. Golding said today:
'I could do with some rain'.