I was really sorry to hear today that Mike Golding has had to retire from the Transat Ecover BtoB. It’s all too easy to forget that sailing races can be lost because of mundane mechanical problems – in his case, the engine.

Just a quick gloss on the report from Dee Caffari which I have just posted up on our main news site .

Dee’s also out there on the race, bashing into the Trades. By the sound of it, this race really has been a dreadful boneshaker. I sent her a quick email asking how it really was out there, should she perchance have time to explain, and by the following morning back came this terrific report, despite conditions that were making it difficult to find the right keys on the keyboard.

What a trouper!

It gives quite an insight into the seamanship that goes into these races, as well as the stress and physical discomforts of racing such quick but uncomfortable boats.