Owen Clarke boats start in the Vendee Globe |
| Sunday, 07 November 2004 |
Mike Golding (Ecover) and Nick Moloney (Skandia) have finally started in the round the world racing odyssey that is the Vendee Globe. Early this morning the two boats left the dock in Les Sables D’Olonne to huge cheers and goodwill that echoed around the gathered spectators numbering in excess of 300,000 ashore. The farewell continued offshore from the spectator fleet officially numbering more than 300. Such is the following that sailing receives in France that the first 45 minutes of the light airs start was shown live on French terrestial TV, despite the fact that for the first time a non French sailor (Golding) is the bookies and the crowd’s favourite to win. Veteran sailor Mike Golding taking his Owen Clarke designed and Southern Ocean Marine built Open 60 off the dock was as composed as I’ve ever seen him. Nick Moloney was also ready to go and was similarly well prepared and looking composed onboard Skandia, the yacht designed by Owen Clarke Design and Rob Humphreys for Ellen MacArthur’s entry in the last race.Also sailing a boat with links to Owen Clarke was Conrad Humphreys, onboard Hellomotto. This is Mike Golding’s former steed, Team Group 4 which was project managed during her design and construction by Merfyn Owen.
It was a clean start in light airs, with Nick making a good start, over the line in eighth position. At 13.00 hrs local time, Mike held himself back, crossing in sixteenth place a long way from the leader PRB, but had moved up to third place by 16.00 hrs as the fleet headed offshore and out of sight of land in the light 8-10 knots of northerly wind.
The light airs are set to change with building wind and sea conditions that will provide some lively conditions off Cape Finisterre during the second day/evening. There is a dominant high pressure in the Atlantic giving a N-NE wind and the remains of a cold front is moving over the Bay of Biscay while a large low pressure is forming off the Canary Islands. This will provide upwind conditions where the fleet would normally be looking at sailing downwind in the North East Trades. This all points
to a highly tactical first seven days of the race with little rest for the sailors while they battle for some form of tactical advantage and get a feel for the opposition.
Merfyn Owen
Les Sables D’Olonne
For more information review:
www.thedailysail.com
www.nickmoloney.com
www.mikegolding.com
www.vendeeglobe.fr/uk
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