Mike Golding rounded the fearsome Cape Horn on Wednesday 9 January at 02:05 GMT, becoming the only person to have raced around this infamous rock three times each way: west to east and east to west.
" The first time we had the most wind – 55-60kts – but it was from the east. Photographer Barry Pickthall was on Cape Horn; we passed a mile and a half away under a poled out yankee and were just flying. I think I was the only person to get a Challenge yacht making over 21kts. The second time was on my own and it was relatively benign. I was on a long starboard reaching tack. But the third time was fully crewed and as we got down towards Diego Ramirez island there was an incredible feeding frenzy with birds attacking fish, fish being chased by seals and dolphins and killer whales circling. It was the full food chain in action in front of us. Of course the crew all thought it was always like this! I had never seen it before, or since!", recalls Golding.
" On my first Vendée Globe it was relatively quiet and I got up close again. What is amazing is that you go around the corner into Le Maire Strait and it is all quiet and flat water and you suddenly smell land, the heather and the lavender and it is quite the sweetest smell after you have not been close to land for so long. The sea state changes so quickly and you are in the Atlantic. But then you pass out towards the Falklands and you can be getting hammered again.”
