Vendee Globe Golding & Hall approaching Doldrums

by Susan Preston Davis on 17 Feb 2001 This morning the official position reports show that Mike Golding is 2344
miles from the finish line in Les Sables D'Olonne. Like the skippers ahead
he is eager to get there and very frustrated by the current weather
situation. For the first time in several days Golding spoke to Race
Headquarters this morning during the radio chat. The following is a
transcript of his conversation - with thanks to www.vendeeglobe.com

'Things are okay but we must have had up to 40 knots on the nose last
night. I was sailing under 3 reefs, staysail and trying to slow the boat up
so that nothing would break. Now there's 9 - 10 knots, but we'll see a big
breeze coming in again in 36 hours, Josh and I. The wind is still variable,
the sea quite rough, so it won't be a smooth ride at all. Not encouraging
to know that we'll reach the anticyclone in 3 - 4 days and hit calm weather
again. The Atlantic is a never-ending road!

'Because I'm lacking in so much fuel I am helming by hand a great deal,
which can be exhausting at times. I still have water and can make a little
if need be. Food is fine, fuel isn't, and as for the lack of
cigarettes…well, you smoke twice as many in this race!'