[02/28/2001 10:29:19] : Mike Golding’s (Team Group 4)first impressions from the pontoon:
Now I’ve stopped I’ll start all the bad things again! What a reception! From 12 hours into the race until now,
it was not the race I planned. The whole thing has been a struggle. From the moment the rig fell down it
was one problem after another, even though the guys did a fantastic job, all that done, I was still left with
technical problems. The good thing is that none of this related to the speed of the boat.
It was very much against myself, whether I could keep doing it, even a week ago I wasn’t sure I’d get into
Les Sables d’Olonne. When the genoa failed a second time it just seemed like too much. I had no food,
cigarettes, power problems…so now, I have no difficulty whatsoever in getting of my boat – do you want a
demonstration?!
I’ve been on quite a healthy diet, no cigarettes, no sugar, no alcohol…I thoroughly recommend it!
The worst thing I’ve had to contend with is myself. It’s been the hardest struggle for me, as the way I
motivated myself before the start was different to the way I had to for the race. I made the best job of it
and if you can walk away and know you’ve done all you could then, fine.
The highlight of the race was when the rig fell down and I came back in, the amount of support from people
who had nothing to do with the team, who got behind us, incredible! And this reception, it’s incredible, from
people I don’t even know, it’s enviable in this sport how public sailing is in France.
The Southern Ocean was mild this time, two days ago I had a storm that rivalled everything in the race. We
were lucky as a fleet.
I had to go up the rig a few times, and once in the Southern Ocean, where I found a quiet spot, very small,
at Marion Island. I got up the rig, the boat was sailing at 4 knots towards the big Southern Ocean swell, it
was getting dark and I had trouble working up there. As the boat moved into the swell it started pounding
and I was thrown off the mast. I was unable to catch the mast again, I must have been 15 – 20 foot away,
when I came careering smack into it. I got big bruises all over my arms and legs. Afterwards I was shaking
so much I couldn’t do the repair change and we were moving deeper into the swell and I thought here we
go..! It was terrifying. I lost a lot of confidence after that, lost something in my ability to get up the
rig…even in the calms.
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