Jonny Malbon

Jonny (& Steve, & Dee) hit the local press as year ends

Piece mentioning Jonny, Steve and Dee in “afloatweymouth” today:

Gruelling start to the New Year for sailors, by Laura Kitching.

Charlton Down sailor Steve White aboard his Open 60 yacht Toe in the Water is more than 50 days into the Vendee Globe race.

NEW Year’s Eve will be a solitary affair for ocean racing skippers Steve White and Jonny Malbon.

The solo sailors have endured ice cold rain and massive waves aboard their 60-foot yachts in the hostile Southern Ocean this Christmas.

They are competing against each other and 13 other skippers in the Vendee Globe non-stop around-the-world race.

The gruelling 24,840-mile race has already seen 15 yachtsmen forced to retire.

New Year’s Day will mark 52 days at sea for father-of-four Steve, of Charlton Down, and former Weymouth schoolboy Jonny.

Steve, 35, said: “It will be an unusual New Year for me to say the least.

“For a start (my wife) Kim and I will be apart, but also I will be in the Pacific Ocean, somewhere to the east of New Zealand amongst the albatross and the big grey rollers, the memories of which will stay forever.

“I’ll be looking forward to crossing an ocean that I hope will be kinder to us than the Indian Ocean has been, and of course to rounding that most famous landmark of all for sailors, Cape Horn.

Former Weymouth schoolboy Jonny Malbon. Credit: Lloyd Images

“This will mark the beginning of the sprint home back up the Atlantic in the sunshine to the finish in what will be by then a tired boat.”

Steve, who remortgaged his family home four times in a stressful sponsorship search before a last-minute backer secured his place on the French start line, said it had been a rollercoaster year’ for his whole family.

He added: “Now, living out my dream and staying in the race I hope until the end, all the heartache seems like a distant memory.

“Out of 30 starters comprising the top solo sailors in the world we are placed 12th, and have just received the Seahorse Sailor of the Month Award.

“It is difficult to see how life could be better.”

Steve said his return to Les Sable d’Olonne in France in February would be a turning point for us all and the end of a 10-year struggle’.

He hoped it would also boost his ocean racing campaign and added: “Whatever happens, I will be spending more time with the family.”

His wife Kim said it was her first New Year’s Eve without Steve.

She added: “We will all be raising a glass to him - we are very proud.”

Jonny, 34, is currently one place behind White and two places behind former Swanage PE teacher Dee Caffari.

He received festive support from his father, Sir Fabian Malbon, and family who left presents aboard his boat and Christmas wishes from sailing legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

Remaining optimistic despite the gruelling conditions, Jonny said: “We are still out here on the race course, still making progress, and still part of the event - long may it continue.”

4:29pm Tuesday 30th December 2008