160 difficult miles left for Mike Golding on Gamesa in the Vendée Globe
by Gamesa Sailing Team 6 Feb 2013 07:50 GMT
6 February 2013
160 miles left for Mike Golding in the Vendée Globe 2012-2013 © Mark Lloyd / DPPI / Vendée Globe
At 0700hrs UTC this morning Mike Golding had around 160 difficult miles left to finish to Les Sables d'Olonne and the finish line of the Vendée Globe, becoming the first person to have finished the race three times.
Golding is on course to take sixth place, around 90 miles behind Jean Le Cam who remains slightly faster than his British rival, in the tough conditions which have prevailed on the Bay of Biscay for the last 24 hours.
Mike Golding is fighting with a leak into the keel box of Gamesa in gale force winds and big seas, having to slow regularly to help the pumps take water from the inside of his boat.
"At the moment all I am interested in is concentrating on dealing with the weather. My only focus right now is just concern to get through the weather right now safely. I have 40 knots of breeze and a really nasty sea state."
Golding should finish during the late afternoon, between 1500 and 1900hrs local.