Mike Golding and Ecover are the winners of the FICO (Forum International de la Course Oceanique) World Championship 2005.

The FICO rankings table for skippers takes into consideration the oceanic events of the past two seasons with two transatlantic races in 2004 (The single-handed Transat Plymouth-Boston and the fully-crewed transatlantic from Quebec to Saint Malo) and four major races in 2005 (Vendée Globe, Faraday Mill Ostar, Route de l’équateur, Transat Jacques Vabre).

With his victory in The Transat last year followed by third place in the Vendée Globe, Mike Golding was virtually certain of winning the championship even before the start of this season. His subsequent fourth place in the last race of this year’s calendar, the Transat Jacques Vabre, has secured his position at the top of the rankings. His partners Ecover are also logically crowned FICO World Champion Sponsor thanks to their unfaltering support over the past four seasons.

The irony of the final standings this year is that Mike’s closest rival is none other than the Swiss Dominique Wavre, Mike-Golding’s crew member in the Transat Jacques Vabre who also finished just behind him in the Vendée Globe. Dominique finishes the year just ahead of Vincent Riou, the winner of the Vendée Globe 2004-2005.

In fourth position comes Jean Le Cam, following his fine performances in the round-the-world race (second in Les Sables d’Olonne at the Vendee Globe) and the Transat Jacques Vabre (third in Bahia).

The FICO World Championship 2005 is logically dominated by skippers from the Imoca monohull class (due to the 200 points awarded to the winner of the Vendée Globe). Michel Desjoyeaux, winner of The Transat and third in the Quebec-Saint Malo and the Transat Jacques Vabre in his Orma multihull, finishes the year in fifth ahead of two other Vendée Globe soloists, Sébastien Josse and Jean-Pierre Dick.

In eighth place comes none other than the skipper of the incredible 50-foot trimaran Crêpes Whaou!, Franck-Yves Escoffier, who has won both the Quebec-Saint Malo and the Transat Jacques Vabre in his class.

The Prize-Giving Ceremony for the FICO World Championship 2005 will be held at the London Boat Show in early January 2006.

List of achievements

Mike Golding (Ecover)

4th Transat Jacques Vabre 2005

2nd Calais Round Britain Race 2005

3rd Vendée Globe 2004-2005

1st The Transat 2004

2nd Calais 1,000 miles in 2004

1st Atlantic Challenge 2003

3rd Transat Jacques Vabre 2003

4th Fastnet Race 2003

3rd Calais Round Britain Race 2003

2nd Route du Rhum 2002

2nd Transat Jacques Vabre 2001

3rd EDS Atlantic Challenge 2001

Dominique Wavre (Temenos)

4th Transat Jacques Vabre 2005

4th Vendée Globe 2004-2005

2nd The Transat 2004

7th Transat Jacques Vabre 2003

3rd Fastnet Race 2003

4th Regatta Rubicon 2002

Vincent Riou (PRB)

1st Vendée Globe 2004-2005

4th Calais 1,000 miles in 2004

2nd Atlantic Challenge 2003

4th Transat Jacques Vabre 2003

2nd Fastnet Race 2003

1st Calais Round Britain Race 2003

FICO Skipper Rankings Table 2004-2005

1-Mike Golding (GBR) Ecover: 282 points

2-Dominique Wavre (SUI) Temenos: 242 points

3-Vincent Riou (FRA) PRB: 221 points

4-Jean Le Cam (FRA) Bonduelle: 209 points

5-Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) Géant: 191 points

6-Sébastien Josse (FRA) VMI: 190 points

7-Jean Pierre Dick (FRA) Virbac-Paprec: 150 points

8-Franck Yves Escoffier (FRA) Crêpes Whaou!: 130 points

9-Conrad Humphreys (GBR) Hellomoto: 120 points

10-Franck Cammas (FRA) Groupama: 118 points