Mike Golding

( Ecover) - a consummate sailor in both crewed and single-handed races and one of the world's best offshore racing sailors who, in the true traditions of seamanship, turned back in the Southern Ocean to rescue fellow British sailor Alex Thompson, one of the competitors in the Velux 5 Oceans Challenge, after Alex's yacht, Hugo Boss, suffered serious keel failure more than 1,000 miles south of Cape Town. As Mike beat to windward for 80 miles to rendezvous with Alex, his Open 60 yacht took a terrible pounding and suffered serious gear failure. Not surprisingly, she was dismasted shortly after Alex was aboard following Mike's text book rescue. (These yachts are essentially downwind 'sledges' not designed for beating upwind in the Southern Ocean.)