The Team
Between them they have sailed around the World multiple times, won multiple world titles, competed at the Olympics and the America's Cup and even one made a daring rescue of a fellow competitor from the clutches of the Southern Ocean. The Ecover Extreme 40 Sailing Team is made up of four of the world’s top sailors all hailing from UK. They cover all aspects of the professional sailing world from single handed Ocean Racing to the Olympics.
The Ecover Sailing Team made its debut on the circuit in 2009, it was a steep learning curve for the crew as they were introduced to the crash and burn world of mutilhull sailing. 2010 sees a new team format; Olympic tornado sailor Leigh McMillan takes on the helm with his Tornado partner Will Howden staying onboard as tactician and running the mainsheet. Mike Golding remains as skipper onboard as trimmer, with America’s Cup sailor Jonathan Taylor taking on the bow. The all British Ecover Sailing Team will take to the water for the first event in Sete, France at the end of May. After training in the UK over the winter they will be looking to make an impact on the leaderboard in 2010.
| Mike Golding (Trimmer & Skipper)The world is more used to relating Ecover Sailing Team skipper Mike Golding with offshore single-handed racing. His CV detailing his success in this field speaks for itself: Mike was FICO world champion 2005/6 and IMOCA world champion for two successive years 2004/5 and 2005/6; the first and only British sailor to hold this coveted title. He was also the first person ever to race single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions and is one of just two British sailors to ever have stood on the podium in the Vendee Globe. |
| Andrew McLean (Bow)A professional engineer, Andrew McLean (NZL) has two America Cups and a Volvo Ocean Race to his name. He worked with Emirates Team New Zealand as part of the weather team for the 2003 defense of the America's Cup, developing software and predictive models on the weather data gathered from the race course. It was more of the same in 2007 but with additional responsibilities with the sailing team as they won the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup. Most recently Andrew joined the Green Dragon team for the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race and is now back with Emirates Team New Zealand for the Louis Vuitton Trophy. |
| Will Howden (Mainsheet and Tactician)Running the front of the boat will be Will Howden (GBR), he is no stranger to these boats having been on the circuit since 2005. Will has also competed at two Olympic Games from Great Britain in the Tornado Catamaran. |
| Leigh McMillan (Helm)Leigh McMillan, is one of the world's top Torndo sailors. With over nine years experience in the class, he has finished on the podium in some of the top international regattas, and represented Team GB at two Olympic Games, most recently in Beijing in 2008. With the removal of the Torndo class from the Olympic Leigh has turned his head to the world of EXtreme 40 and big boat sailing. He took the helm of Oman Red during the 2009 Extreme Sailing Series Asia, and won the series. Now with skipper Mike Golding he joins Ecover as helm and will be looking to make his mark on the circuit |
