Ecover relaunched

Mike Golding announces his Open 60 program for 2006

Today, Mike Golding’s Open 60 Ecover returned to her natural habitat after a four-month refit. Now ready for an intensive sailing and racing programme, Ecover will go through another refit in September before setting off for her skipper’s sixth round the world race of his impressive racing career, the Velux 5 Oceans.

Graham 'Gringo' Tourell and French new recruit, Martin Piquet stripped the state of the art racing machine back to a bare hull and have literally re-built her over the past few months. The keel was fitted last week, and the rig was put back in a few days ago.
Once back in the water, Ecover has returned home to Ocean Village in Southampton.
Graham and Martin will add the final touches to the boat and Ecover will set off to Copenhagen at the end of May for a hospitality programme around the Dexia ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship 2006. The Open 60 and the Challenge 67 will sail to the Danish capital city to support the boat that Ecover sponsors in the competition.

Mike Golding has been working closely with his project manager and was thrilled to see his boat looking “even better than when she was new”.

“I’m really looking forward to get back on the water and try out the new improvements we’ve made. Our trip to Copenhagen will be a good opportunity to get re-acquainted with Ecover before racing her around the Isle of Wight in the JP Morgan Round the Island Race and then in the SNSM record and the BMW Round Ireland Race,” commented Mike.

Ecover Open 60 & Mike Golding - 2006 Programme

24th->26th May – Dexia ISAF Womens Match Racing – Copenhagen, Denmark (Hospitality)
3rd June – JP Morgan Round the Island Race – Isle of Wight, UK
17th->21st June – SNSM Record – Saint Nazaire/Saint Malo, France
1st->5th July – BMW Round Ireland Yacht Race – Starts and finishes in Wicklow, Ireland
17th July – Volvo ISAF Youth Sailing Championships – Weymouth, UK (Hospitality)
29th July->5th August – Skandia Cowes Week – Cowes, UK (Hospitality)
15th->24th September – Southampton Boat Show – Southampton, UK (Hospitality)
22nd October – Start of VELUX 5 OCEANS – Bilbao, Spain