British sailor Mike Golding, sailing with Spanish co-skipper Javier Sanso on their 60 foot IMOCA Open 60 Mike Golding Yacht Race crossed the finish line off Costa Rica’s historic Puerto Limon at 14h 59mins 38sec GMT   (08.59 local time) to secure third place in the biannual Transat Jacques Vabre double-handed race across the Atlantic which started on Sunday 8th November.
From the highest overall standard of entries that the race has seen, Golding’s finish today ensures he becomes most consistent podium finisher in the monohull class for the race which was first run in 1993.  
Since he first competed in 1999, over the six consecutive editions of the race which he has contested, Golding has now finished in the top three four times.
His best finish in 2001 when he took second.
Of the 14 boats which started, four had to retire with damage, including the French pair Sébastien Josse and Jean François Curzon who had to be airlifted off the British owned BT which had her roof ripped off by huge waves.
Two winners of the Vendée Globe, solo racing’s toughest round-the-world race, finished behind Golding and Sanso, including double winner Michel Desjoyeaux who won the last epic edition which finished in February. Desjoyeaux was due to finish later today, whilst 2004-5 winner Vincent Rioux lies eighth. Of the 28 skippers race, 16 competed in the most recent Vendee Globe.