| Transat 2004 |
| Sunday, 13 June 2004 |
Mike Sanderson arrives in Boston, US in third place at the end of the Transat 2004. Photo credit - Billy Black
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Sanderson seals podium place in debut solo race
Mike Sanderson arrived in Boston onboard Pindar AlphaGraphics at 09:54 GMT today to secure third place in the Open 60 class of The Transat 2004 after a heroic race in which he proved he could compete alongside the world's leading solo sailors. Sanderson spent much of the 2,900 miles in a neck and neck battle for first place with British sailor Mike Golding until a broken daggerboard eventually ended his dreams of victory.
Sanderson, from New Zealand, completed the race in 12 days, 20 hours and 54 minutes - finishing just 5 hours 34 minutes behind Mike Golding on Ecover, and 2 hours 32 minutes behind Dominique Wavre on Temenos.
Sanderson, who was competing in his first ever solo race, lost both his starboard daggerboard and wind instruments on Friday 4th June - five days into the 13 day voyage. The daggerboard snapped when Sanderson and the Open 60 fleet sailed through 45 knot winds. The extreme conditions also resulted in two dis-mastings and one broken keel.
During the transatlantic crossing Sanderson had to cope with severe sleep deprivation, getting used to sailing without any fellow crew members and one epic eight hour stint on the helm when his auto-pilot temporarily failed. He also had to watch the top two podium places cruelly slip away from him in the closing stages of the race as his broken daggerboard began to affect Pindar AlphaGraphics' boat speed.
However, for Sanderson to finish in third place is a testament to his hard work and determination throughout the race. Sanderson, 33, has competed in three America's Cup campaigns, is a former winner of the Whitbread round-the-world race, and is also a world record holder courtesy of his role as racing skipper on Mari Cha IV, Robert Miller's 140-foot schooner. Now, following his admirable performance in The Transat, he has proved he can also compete on the world stage of solo racing.
Mike Sanderson said as he arrived on the dock '' I am really excited to have finally finished and arrived in Boston in one piece! The last few days have been tough for me as Ecover pulled away and I had to watch as Temenos sailed past. However I have really enjoyed this race and have learnt a huge amount. Before the race I said that finishing in the top five would have been a good result for me so I'm very pleased to have got on the podium. I am now looking forward to a good shower and some sleep - something I have not had a lot of over the last couple of weeks! It's good to be in Boston! ''
Andrew Pindar, Chairman of G.A. Pindar & Son, said: ''We are incredibly proud of Mike's achievements in this race. His determination to succeed and never say die attitude is evident for all to see in his outstanding result. He has worked very hard and has been a great ambassador for Pindar, AlphaGraphics, HSBC and all our supporting sponsors. It was an incredibly tough and competitive race, so to have achieved a podium place in this his first ever solo race is a truly fantastic achievement, and confirmed Mike's status as one of the world's leading sailors.''
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