Artemis Offshore Academy sailors Sam Goodchild and Nick Cherry finish in 12th place in the Transat AG2R La Mondiale at 04:59:26 (CET). The only British entry and the youngest team in the fleet Goodchild and Cherry sailed an average speed of 7.15knots over the 3890nm course during their 22 days 15 hours 59 minutes and 26 seconds at sea. Read more…
Sam Goodchild pledges his support for ShelterBox, a UK charity that helps victims of natural disasters and conflict by providing them with lifesaving aid. Sam is delighted to be able to support Shelterbox on his travels as a solo sailor, a charity close to his heart as they supported hurricane Ivan, a natural disaster that destroyed 80% of the island of Grenada when Sam lived there.
“I am excited to be able to support ShelterBox on my travels as I work towards the pinnacle of solo sailing, the Vendée Globe,” explained Sam. “I will be using a ShelterBox as my dock box for racing and I am privileged to promote them, and the excellent work they do across the world wherever I go.”
After being born in Bristol Sam moved to the Caribbean living on a boat with his family before settling in Grenada in 1999. However Ivan was not the first hurricane that Sam witnessed in the southern Caribbean as he had seen the devastation of two previous hurricanes when he lived with his family on their boat, which was was then prompted them to settle on Grenada.“Hurricane Ivan destroyed most of the island of Grenada, including schools, hospitals and many businesses,” reported Sam. “After the hurricane I moved back to Falmouth, UK, to finish my education, and it was here that my path crossed with ShelterBox again. Hurricane Ivan was the first hurricane disaster that ShelterBox supported by sending 100 boxes of much needed aid to the country.”
Tim Bunting, ShelterBox UK General Manager: ‘We are delighted that Sam Goodchild has chosen to support ShelterBox. With his links to Cornwall and direct experience of the sort of disasters that ShelterBox respond to during his time in Grenada. We are happy to be working with him to promote our disaster relief work around the world where his solo offshore racing careers takes him.’
After kick starting 2012 by an impressive 8th place finish in the Solo Figaro Massif Marine, the first Figaro race of the year, against some top stars in the Figaro world. The next race for Sam is the double-handed AG2R Transat, a Figaro race from France to St Barths taking him back to the Caribbean before returning to France for the highly competitive Solitaire du Figaro.
Follow Sam’s adventures on Twitter @GoodchildSam and at Sam Goodchild Sailing on Facebook.
About ShelterBox:
ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity that provides emergency shelter and life-saving supplies to families around the world who are affected by disasters. Since 2000, ShelterBox have responded to earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, landslides, typhoons and conflict, delivering lifesaving aid to families across the globe at a time when they need it the most.
ShelterBox aims to help the areas where the need is greatest by providing shelter, warmth, comfort and dignity to families in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Each big, green ShelterBox is tailored to every disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water purification and storage equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items.
For all the latest information on ShelterBox’s work around the world, including ways you can help, please visit www.shelterbox.org
Sam will be racing alongside four Artemis Offshore Academy skippers for the 320-mile offshore Solo Figaro Massif Marine 2012 starting on Thursday 15th March at midday [CET]. The 320nm race from Les Sables d’Olonne, which is expected to take about 48-hours, will take the soloist’s over some of the same waters as the Solitaire du Figaro later in the year. Read more…
The Artemis Offshore Academy will once again be supporting me on my Figaro campaign. This means i can spend another year working hard training and racing in the one-design Figaro class. This year i will be training in Lorient ahead of the AG2R which starts in Concarnau in April.
AG2R – 21st April 2012
The AG2R is a gruelling double-handed 3,900 mile race from Concarneau, France to St Barts,Caribbean. This highly competitive French race starts from Concarneau on the 21st April for the 17 entries into the race. This race will see double-handed teams racing across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Caribbean in the one-design 33ft Figaro class.
Sam Goodchild and Nick Cherry are the only current British entries to the race. This duo will be competing on Artemis Offshore Academy Figaro 23, Goodchild’s Figaro for the 2012 season.
Watch the video of Sam Goodchild as he is featured on BBC SW after returning from winning leg 2 of the double-handed Global Ocean Race from Cape Town, South Africa to Wellington, New Zealand. Read more…
For Sam Goodchild it was a last minute opportunity after retiring from first place in the Transat Jacques Vabre due to hull damage that saw him joining Conrad Colman for leg two of the Global Ocean Race. They formed the youngest duo in the race who had never previously raced together but went on to win the leg and set the record for the fastest 24-hour run in the race.
Twenty-one-year-old Sam Goodchild from Southampton has been awarded the first Artemis Offshore Academy Scholarship to help him forge a competitive solo offshore racing career. Goodchild has now been given a significant boost to follow in the footsteps of Britain’s most well-known and successful solo sailors, such as, Dame Ellen MacArthur, Mike Golding, Samantha Davies and Dee Caffari.
Copyright © 2012. Sam Goodchild
