Having only just taken the overall lead in the Vendée Globe British solo skipper Mike Golding was cruelly dismasted in the Indian Ocean this morning at 0647 hrs GMT reporting to Race HQ shortly afterwards that the rig of Ecover 3 had collapsed when he was caught in winds of over 55 knots. Golding is about 940 miles SW of Perth, AustraliaThe British skipper had gained a lead of 30 miles over Jean-Pierre Dick, who himself had suffered rudder damage yesterday. Golding and had been sailing under a changed sail configuration when the sudden rise in wind speed forced Ecover 3 over on her side.
“I was just out on deck when a squall came through with winds of 55 knots. I had the main with two reefs and a reacher and had been like that for two hours. Overnight we had winds of up to 45k so I had two reefs and a staysail and then changed to the new configuration in the early morning,”commented a very calm Golding this morning.
-http://www.vendeeglobe.org/
