Glenavy man sails into the lead in the Global Challenge race
A GLENAVY man sailed into the lead in the Global Challenge race this
week when he entered the port of Cape Town in South Africa.Giles Mackey (30) and his crew onboard BP Explorer ended the fourth leg of the event in dramatic style by crossing the finish line in second place.
This took the crew to the top of the overall leader board by two points.
Giles, an Environmental Engineer for BP, set off from Sydney on February 27 on the most treacherous leg of the race.
During the 6,500 mile leg to South Africa
the yachts crossed the Southern Ocean reaching the most
southerly point of the race so far and coming within 500
miles of Antarctica.
Stepping off the yacht at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, Giles said: "Enjoy is not a word I would use to describe the last leg.
"I think I can safely say that I won't be
sailing the Southern Ocean again in the near future. "The
big waves were relentless and we had a lot
of grey days but we worked well together as a team and
managed to keep each other motivated.
"Rounding the Cape was a great experience and sailing into Cape Town was quite special," he continued.
"It was a tough leg but it was all worthwhile now that we are leading the race."
Giles will spend three weeks in Cape Town making repairs to the boat before setting off across the Atlantic Ocean for Boston on May l.
He will then cross the Atlantic again for La
Rochelle in France before returning to Portsmouth on July
17.
Ulster Star
08/04/05
