Golding announces crew

Calais Round Britain Race to kick off this Sunday

Mike Golding Yacht Racing have announced their crew line-up for the 2003 Calais Round Britain and Ireland race. This will be the penultimate race for Golding and his team to race on the successful Finot Open 60 Ecover, before the boat is taken over by a new skipper/sponsor. The team has put together a multi-talented crew to meet all the different needs of racing round the rocky coastline of the British Isles.

Bruno Dubois - Mike Golding Yacht Racing’s Belgian representative from North Sails, who has miles of varied sailing experience and an intricate knowledge of Ecover's sail wardrobe.
Mike Golding - the only person ever to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions. He is one of the world’s leading sailors and has now sailed around the world five times - three times alone.
Graham Tourell - an ambitious British sailor who knows Ecover inside out and worked with Golding for several years.
Miranda Merron - one of the two females in a race of 45 sailors, Merron has frequently raced across the Atlantic and sailed numerous legs of round the world races with the principal task of navigator. She sailed two legs on the 2001 EDS Challenge with Golding.
Brian Thompson - Held the round Britain and Ireland record for nine years and probably knows the racecourse better than any other sailor.

"The fully crewed Calais Round Britain Race with the IMOCA 60s, presents a unique set of strategic, tactical and navigational problems," said Golding. "Principally because all the sailing is done in close proximity to the coast, which will to some extent limit tactical differences and will make the event uniquely challenging. During this race boats will travel further north than Cape Horn is south, into the land of everlasting sun!"

The race starts on Sunday 13 July from Calais at 1430 (French time) and is expected to take approximately seven days.