Record Setting Goodchild Reflects on Leg Two of the Global Ocean Race

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.

The 28 year-old Kiwi, Conrad Colman, and 22 year-old, Artemis Offshore Academy sailor Sam Goodchild met just days before the Leg 2 start gun. While both had logged many miles offshore and on Class 40s, their union for Leg 2 produced astonishing speeds – setting the Global Ocean Race Class 40 24-hour record of 359.1 miles.

The start of the race was delayed by two days due to strong winds, which was deja vu for Goodchild after his last race the Transat Jacques Vabre was also delayed due to a huge low pressure system resulting in 50+ knot winds. The six Class 40s finally crossed the start line in Cape Town’s Table Bay at 12:00 Local (10:00 GMT) on Tuesday 29th November. Cessna Citation was first across the line, followed by the Kiwi father-and-son duo of Ross and Campbell Field on BSL (an order that would be repeated at the finish line 30 days later). “Having the start delayed by two days actually gave Conrad and I some valuable time to work on the boat together and for me to familiarise myself with the systems and the equipment onboard” explained Goodchild.

At the end of the first week, the leaderboard ranking continued to change hourly after six days at sea. At the head of the fleet were Cessna Citation and Campagne de France who continued swapping pole position, separated by a handful of miles as the fleet continued descending through the Roaring Forties to the western Indian Ocean Ice Limit at 42S. At the Celox Sailing Scoring Gate mid-Indian Ocean, Cessna Citation crossed in first place and held the lead for the remaining 21 days of racing – an impressive feat for a duo who had never raced together before.

The fleet lead by Goodchild & Colman were then racing into the most remote part of the Indian Ocean, 1,800 miles from the Cape of Good Hope, Africa, and 2,600 miles from Cape Leeuwin at the south-western tip of Australia heading to the Celox Sailing Scoring Gate at 69 degrees East. “The Southern Ocean has a reputation for a reason and being so far from land, some extra consideration is put into your decision making knowing that, in case of a disaster, there really is no way for anyone to help, you are truly on your own” explained Goodchild.

Goodchild and Colman then went on to set the 24-hour record of 359.1nm with an average speed of 15 knots – phenomenal distances for a Class 40. However these speeds were not sustained after entering the Tasman Sea, where light conditions meant the lead could be taken by BSL who were further north. However the duo held the lead through the light winds and over Christmas – for Goodchild there was no roast turkey and had to make do with freeze-dried vegetarian curry!

In the closing stages of Leg 2 in the double-handed Global Ocean Race (GOR), a harsh lesson was learned on Class40 Cessna Citation through quick thinking; instinct; and training when Conrad Colman and Sam Goodchild dealt quickly with a Man Over Board (MOB) off the west coast of South Island, New Zealand. The wind increased quickly from 10 to 30 knots and a quick sail change was required to limit damage to the boat and sails. Goodchild acted quickly from the cuddy where he had been chatting to Colman while eating, and went onto the foredeck to change the head sails. Goodchild has learnt a valuable lesson: “It was a harsh lesson and one I will never forget,” he confirms. “You hear these stories but you brush them aside as it’s a sailors worst nightmare. It only takes a second for something to turn into a big disaster, I’ll be a lot less slack about clipping on in future” he adds.

Goodchild and Colman then went on to win leg two of the Global Ocean Race finishing in Wellington in torrential rain just ahead of a gale. The duo covered the shortest distance of 7,484nm over 30 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes and 40 seconds. For Goodchild it was the longest time he had spent at sea, his previous longest voyage was 17 days as well as being his first Christmas at sea. “I am sure it will not be my last Christmas at sea and next time I race in the Southern Ocean I hope it is in the Vendee Globe – my ultimate sailing goal. This leg has taught me so much in many different lessons, which I will now take into the Figaro circuit for 2012”, reported Goodchild.

There were many highs and lows during the race but for Goodchild there are some very clear moments that stand out. “The best moment of the race for me was, by far, the finish,” reported Goodchild.  ”After a harsh beating going through the cook straits (never mind the previous 7500miles), where we stopped racing and were just in survival-mode, it was a massive relief to bear away into wellington harbour.

The lowest moment at sea was, having broken the spinnaker halyard and gone up the mast in 25knots to ‘re-mouse’ one, we then discovered the mouse line was twisted…”

Looking back on the leg Goodchild summarised: “This has been a very valuable race for me, giving me an insight into sailing in the southern ocean, racing over long distances and managing the balance between endurance and speed. Not to mention my fortunate ‘wake-up call’ as to the seriousness of safety at sea.”

Global Ocean Race leg two stats:

1. Cessna Citation: Conrad Colman and Sam Goodchild (NZL/GBR). Akilaria RC2 Class40. Launched 2011. Finish 30/12/2011 08:20:40 UTC. 30d 22h 20m 40s. Av Spd 10.08kts. Dist 7,484nm. Best 24hrs 359.1nm

2. BSL: Ross and Campbell Field (NZL). Tyker 40 Class40. Launched 2008. Finish 31/12/2011 21:38:40 UTC. 32d 11h 38m 40s (Gap to 1st 1d 11h 38m 40s) Av Spd 9.7kts. Dist 7,564nm. Best 24hrs 355.6nm

3. Campagne de France: Halvard Mabire/Miranda Merron (FRA/GBR). Pogo 40S² Class40. Launched 2011. Finish 01/01/2012 06:13:45 UTC. 33d 10h 40m 15s Gap to 1st 2d 12h 19m 35s) Av Spd 9.37kts. Dist 7521nm. Best 24hrs 303.7nm

4. Financial Crisis: Marco Nannini/Paul Peggs (ITA/GBR). First Generation Akilaria Class40. Launched 2008. Finish 02/01/2012 06:13:45 UTC. 33d 20h 13m 45s (Gap to 1st 2d 21h 53m 05s) Av Spd 9.55kts. Dist 7758nm. Best 24hrs 298.3kts

5. Phesheya-Racing: Nick Leggatt and Phillippa Hutton-Squire (RSA/RSA). First generation Akilaria Class40. Launched 2007. Finish 04/01/2012 15:14:30 UTC. 36d 06h 53m 50s (Gap to 1st 5d 06h 53m 50s) Av Spd 8.8kts. Dist 7651nm. Best 24hrs 273.2nm

6. Sec. Hayai: Nico Budel/Ruud van Rijsewijk (NDL/NDL). First generation Akilaria Class40. Launched 2008. Dismasted/RTD