 Mike Golding (right) is no stranger to sailing success |
British skipper Mike Golding won a gruelling single-handed trans-Atlantic yacht race in record time on Sunday. Golding crossed the finish line in Boston, America, at 1718 BST to win his class of the 2,800-mile race.
The 43-year-old's time of 12 days, 15 hours and 18 minutes bettered the previous best set by Frenchman Yves Parlier in 1992 by two days, 43 mins.
Golding averaged a speed of 9.2 knots in his 60ft monohull boat Ecover to seal the victory.
The Southampton-based yachtsman is no stranger to success.
He took third place on his debut with Ecover in the trans-Atlantic Transat Jaques Vabre race in November.
Meanwhile, fellow Briton Conrad Humphreys, 31, from Plymouth, is currently lying fifth in his yacht Hellomoto, around 240 miles from the finish.
Frenchman Michel Desjoyeaux, 38, was the overall race winner, completing the course in his 60ft trimaran Geant on Monday in eight days, eight hours and 29 mins.
The first Transat race in 1960, when it was called The Ostar, was won by Sir Francis Chichester in his 40ft yacht Gipsy Moth III in 40 days, 12 hours and 30 mins.
MMIX
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