Gamesa, a global wind power technology leader and a world reference in the development and sale of wind farms, and Mike Golding, OBE, have today announced their intention to be on the start line of the 2012 Vendee Globe in Les Sables d'Olonne, France, on 10 November 2012 with the IMOCA Open 60 Gamesa. The race emerges as this new partnership's most important challenge, Gamesa having revealed its sponsorship of the Gamesa Sailing Team, led by Mike Golding, to 135 of its top global executives at their annual convention in Windsor, England.
Billed as ‘the Everest of yacht racing', this will be the fourth start for the Hampshire, UK, based skipper; something he himself describes as ‘unfinished business'.
"This sponsorship comes at an important time for Gamesa and our planned programme of expansion into the offshore market in UK," Jorge Calvet, Chairman and Chief Executive of Gamesa announced. "The sea and the wind are similarly part of the Gamesa challenge and there are synergies between Mike's Vendée Globe campaign and our own activities in the wind power market in the UK and globally. We have a vigorous business plan over the coming years with many common values, including innovation, teamwork, leadership and passion for our customers, and we look forward to working with Mike and his team to achieve both our goals and his," he concluded.
Gamesa is ready to play a significant role in the offshore market. The company is working to launch two offshore platforms (the G11X-5.0 MW and G14X-6/7 MW) and it has also announced that the UK will be the centre of its offshore wind business. It plans to invest over €150 million there by 2014. It will establish an offshore technology centre in Glasgow and will analyse the development of manufacturing, port logistics and O&M capabilities in several UK ports (England and Scotland). Gamesa's offshore business will be headquartered in London.
Mike Golding is one of the world's most accomplished solo ocean sailors. With over 250,000 racing miles and some 25 equator crossings, he has competed in three previous Vendée Globes, held three world championship titles and created a reputation for being "King of the South", setting the fastest speed record in the Southern Ocean.
Golding commented, "This is obviously fantastic for us to be able to formally announce our partnership with Gamesa. With Gamesa's support and our existing infrastructure we are now certain to be able to mount a very competitive campaign for the 2012 Vendée Globe - which is simply wonderful news. Having enjoyed enormous success in the sport of sailing, the Vendee Globe remains ‘the event' I would most love to win."
"Furthermore, having spent the past decade championing environmental products and issues, it is really exiting that Gamesa's core business is in renewable energy - an area increasingly critical to performance in competitive round the world yacht racing."
Mike Golding's Owen Clark-designed Open 60 is currently undergoing some major optimisation work in the UK, with a view to being on the water again later this summer. The first major event for the team will be the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre from France to Costa Rica in October 2011.
During May 2012 the Gamesa IMOCA 60 will race fully crewed in the Europa Race (a tour of Europe) before the team makes final preparations for the non-stop solo around the world race, the Vendée Globe.