Mike Golding on Alex Thomson, Keel Failures & The French Sailing Bubble | The Sailing Podcast Ep.27
The Sailing PodcastShow Notes
Welcome back aboard The Sailing Podcast! In Episode 27, host Theo Stocker and Yachting World Editor Helen Fretter return for Part 2 of their in-depth interview with British solo sailing icon Mike Golding OBE.
After dominating the Westabout route in the BT Global Challenge, Mike stepped into the high-tech world of IMOCA 60 racing and the Vendée Globe.
Mike recounts the terrifying realities of solo racing in the Southern Ocean, the technical evolution of carbon vs. forged steel keels, and what it truly takes to endure when everything goes wrong.
In Part 2, Mike opens up about: Hitting 90-Mile Beach: Leading the Around Alone race by eight days before an electronic chart error brought his boat onto the New Zealand sand. The Marion Island Nightmare: Getting stuck at the top of a 90ft rig, slicing his head open, jumping into the mainsail to save his life, and crushing two vertebrae. Rescuing Alex Thomson: Sailing 90 miles back upwind in a Southern Ocean gale to pull rival Alex Thomson off a sinking Hugo Boss—and breaking his own mast just four hours later. Finishing the Vendée Without a Keel: The 2004 finish that made history when his fabricated steel keel sheared off 90 miles from Les Sables d'Olonne. The French Sailing Bubble: Why British sailors struggle to secure £10M+ budgets compared to French legends like Michel Desjoyeaux and Jean Le Cam.
⚓ If you enjoyed Part 2, hit the like button, share your favourite Mike Golding moment in the comments, and subscribe for Part 3! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mike Golding OBE is, quite simply, a sailing legend. He has sailed through the Southern Ocean 9 times in both directions, and raced across the Atlantic 13 times. He has survived burning buildings and dismastings. He even came third in the Vendée Globe despite finishing the race with no keel.
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