May 28 - Steve White finishes 9th in The Artemis Transat onboard Spirit of Weymouth.
Artemis website comment on Steve's achievement.
Steve White onboard Spirit of Weymouth crossed the Boston finish line of The Artemis Transat at 04:04:54 GMT (midnight local time) in 9th place in a time of 16 days, 15 hours, 4 minutes and 54 seconds, completing the IMOCA results table. Nine of the 13 starters have completed the 2,982-mile solo course and White’s achievement stands out for his sheer determination and obvious passion for the sport.
Thirty-six year-old Steve White from Dorchester (UK) is a tribute to the fact that anybody can achieve their dream, provided they are bold enough. He and his wife laid every penny they own on the line, re-mortgaged their house to purchase the boat (Josh Hall’s ex-Gartmore) so he can follow his dream of sailing non-stop around the world in the up and coming Vendée Globe. He is proof that sailing is accessible to anybody with the skills, the dedication and a dream to keep alive.
During his race, White wrote many emails back to shore detailing the high and lows of his experiences: “I thought we had done a good job avoiding the worst flashes [lightening], but inevitably
all around there was one with my name on it - I couldn't get out of the way.
There was sheet and then forked lightening very, very close to the boat, and
you could smell it…” As did all the other skippers who went before him, White went through storms, windless zones, freezing cold and embraced it all, relishing the opportunity to race his older generation boat against the professional sailors on the IMOCA circuit to achieve his ambition of finishing The Artemis Transat and is now one stop closer to his long-held dream of competing in the solo Vendée Globe.
