www.vendeeglobe.org has some pix, but they don't show any of the pix from the cleer frenchies' underwater helicopter. Perhaps Mike just held up a sign saying "bog off i have lost my keel!" or perhaps rearrange the letters of ECOVER to read "no keel", somehow
Upwind, in fact, it would seem. Wind is somewhere E of NE and he is apparently unable to lay the required course (which seems to be slightly S of E) and is currently heading 008 until he can presumably. Boatspeed is 4.6 knots but VMG can't much better than zilch.
It's almost unbelieveable...he seems to be cursed with bad luck. I hope he makes it the finishing line. Interestingly, I wouldn't have thought that recent conditions were putting that much strain on his keel and I don't remember seeing a report that he has hit anything.
I'm pretty sure that the forces on the keel would be immense, even a tiny amount of leeway is going to create significant lift on the keel, and a keel that long is going to translate that force into a pretty large moment. As the keel is long, thin and swings, it cannot be attached very strongly due to the design and the forces probably all be acting through a couple of mounting hinges, unlike on a 'normal' keel. So even if he doesn't hit anything or have particularly bad weather, the keel will be 'seeing' constantly large forces, which over 25,000 miles would expose any seemingly insignificant material defects.
Well apparently at 0000 he only had 23 miles to go and things are looking good for an early morning finish!
So do you think that we will see his name on the New years honours list? or will he be ignored the same as Steve Curtis was and I think maybe still is for his powerboating effforts.
Re: Mike Golding - New years honours list?? - The case for..
A fairly split vote at the moment... MBE/OBE whichever..
Who in sailing has received an honour...
Tracy Edwards
Olympic Gold medal winners (Ben ainslie, Shirley robinson etc)
Ellen MacArthur
Chay Blyth
Peter Blake
Other sports
Alex Ferguson
Alan Shearer
England rugby team
So why should Mike not get something for someone who has sailed round the world 5 times 3 of them solo and one of those times the wrong way round in a 67' 42 ton boat..
Re: Mike Golding - New years honours list?? - The case for..
Maybe he does'nt want anything like that!! Certainly I would'nt look on it as a major mark of recognition of one's acheivements to be given the same thing as someone who has cleaned the civil service bogs for 20 years etc etc. The true mark of recognition is respect by one's peers and Golding has got that in Spades. If the government wish to do something in recognition of these peoples achievements I'd suggest they start investing in the sport & leisure infrastructure for the Goldings and MacArthur's of the future.
Re: Mike Golding - New years honours list?? - The case for..
Agreed about the investment side of things though how much help have MG and EM had from government? I would say probably zero.. through determination they both have superb sponsers.
You could be right about mike not wanting an OBE/MBE but there was this quote in YW last month...
Vendee Commentator - "With any luck Golding will arrive back in Sables d'Olonne in record timewith the result he wants and hopefully an MBE awaiting him"
"Fat chance of that, I'm not a girl." he replied...
Re: Mike Golding - New years honours list?? - The case for..
[ QUOTE ]
A fairly split vote at the moment... MBE/OBE whichever..
Who in sailing has received an honour...
Tracy Edwards
Olympic Gold medal winners (Ben ainslie, Shirley robinson etc)
Ellen MacArthur
Chay Blyth
Peter Blake
Other sports
Alex Ferguson
Alan Shearer
England rugby team
So why should Mike not get something for someone who has sailed round the world 5 times 3 of them solo and one of those times the wrong way round in a 67' 42 ton boat..
[/ QUOTE ]
How about adding Shirley Robertson? Interesting that the entire England rugby team got an honour, including those who sat on their @rse on the bench for the whole trip! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif