Golding ties the knot

And announces his participation in the Route du Rhum later this year

Before starting his 2002 racing programme, Open 60 sailor, Mike Golding, travelled to South Africa to tie a very special knot.

At Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve in the Cederberg Mountains, Mike married his long term fiancée, Andrea Bacon, in an open air ceremony attended by thirty close family and friends.

Andrea and Mike met when Andrea was a crew member on board Group 4, the yacht which Mike Golding skippered to victory in the 1996/97 BT Global Challenge. Mike's best man was his long time friend, yacht designer Merfyn Owen who was also a skipper in that same race. Wedding guests included Mike's former sponsor, Jorgen Philip Sorensen, Chairman of Group 4 Falck with his wife Susse and Sir Chay Blyth and his wife Felicity.

With the wedding and honeymoon now over, Mike is preparing for a busy sailing season competing in IMOCA European fully crewed regattas. In May he will be skippering his Open 60, ECOVER, in the fully crewed Regata Rubicon from Saint Nazaire (France) to Yaiza (Canaries) and back to Santa Margherita (Italy). Later in the year Mike will take part in the singlehanded Route du Rhum from St. Malo (France) to Guadaloupe (Caribbean).

Meanwhile, Andrea is about to launch her latest book 'Inspiring Leadership - Staying Afloat in Turbulent Times', following a leadership and performance study conducted during the BT Global Challenge 2000/1.

From left to right: Sir Chay Blyth (in the cool shades...), Andrea and Mike Golding and Sir Chay's wife Felicity.