British round the world sailor Mike Golding’ s latest Open 60Ecoverwill be officially named by HRH The Princess Royal at the Southampton Boat Show on Monday 17th September. The new Owen Clarke designed Open 60 has been under construction at Hakes Marine (Wellington, New Zealand) for the last nine months and will return to the UK via cargo ship in early September.

The Princess Royal will officially name the boat and become Godmother to the new Open 60. After the naming ceremony,Ecoverwill undergo sea trials as she is prepared for her first competitive outing in the Transat Jacques Vabre Race, a two handed battle across the Atlantic starting this November from
Le Havre, France.

Meanwhile in the Solent, two other Open 60s, Offshore Challenges brilliantly graphic-edEstrella Damn, (pictured) designed by Farr, and Alex Thomson’s sleek black new Finot-Conq designedHugo Bossare being put through their paces before the upcoming Barcelona World Race double-handed qualifier.

Photo: Mark Lloyd www.lloyd-images_pg_YBW.com