Vendee Globe Race – Golding’s Gamesa closing in on Le Cam’s SynerCiel

by Emily Caroe on 13 Jan 2013 Gamesa skipper Mike Golding is currently 86 miles behind Jean Le Cam of SynerCiel and remains hopeful that he can still land a spot on the podium in the Vendee Globe race 2012-2013.

Continued good progress and still making miles on Jean Le Cam, his main adversary, who this morning is 86 miles ahead, Mike Golding has emerged from a busy night of sail changes and manoeuvres and enjoys a positive outlook on the immediate future.

Still tired but working well on Gamesa, Golding said, 'Things are OK this morning, it was a pretty busy night but I feel like I have done OK. I was under genoa for a while but now it is kite, I have between 14 and 20kts, the breeze is a bit unstable.

'Yesterday was spent doing good things, so getting sleep and I had a good meal, but to be honest that is undone a bit now again. It’s been hard work and I’ve burned all that up.'

With Jean Le Cam (SynerCiel) slowed ahead by the ridge of high pressure which was more or less blocking his way, Mike has profited by 50 miles in the past 36 hours, finding a lane of wind.

'It is OK, I am still making good progress and have carried on making miles on Jean.

'He has slammed into the light stuff a bit. I have pushed to the right and found a corridor of breeze, but to be honest he is not going that badly now either. It is gentle downwind sailing, on starboard for the next couple of days, then reaching.

'That is, of course, if the routing is right. I ran it three times yesterday and got three different results. So really I am just looking at keeping it very simple. I prefer not to be in at the coast.

'I am sailing my own race. If I follow Jean I just end up with what he’s got. I am looking for my own path and doing my own Vendee Globe Mike Golding website