British Vendée Globe Skipper Sam Goodchild.

Justin Chisholm’s guest is the British solo around-the-world sailor Sam Goodchild.

Goodchild recently fulfilled a 14 -year dream to compete in the Vendée Globe solo, nonstop, around-the-world race. Racing as part of Thomas Ruyant’s two boat TR Racing campaign and on a previous generation IMOCA he led the race several times in the early stages heading down the Atlantic and entered the final fortnight of the race in a battle for fourth place with Vendée veteran Jérémie Beyou on his new generation boat Charral.

Disappointingly catastrophic mainsail damage in a storm on the approach to Cape Finisterre at the entrance to the Bay of Biscay saw him split his mainsail in two. Ever resourceful Goodchild somehow managed to glue the sail back together on the rolling pitching wave-washed deck of his 60-foot yacht and get back in the race to finish a highly credible ninth overall.

Justin caught up with him recently at his home in Lorient where he lives with his wife and two children.

Image © Pierre Bouras