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Latest News 2005 (22 June)

Phi Group MD in Global Challenge

Imagine biting 70mph winds that sting your face as you lumber about the deck of a yacht roller coasting its way over 50-foot waves. Imagine hanging on for your life as a wall of freezing water crashes on top of you. Imagine doing this for five weeks at a time. This is the Global Challenge, the world’s toughest yacht race.

John Wilkinson, Phi Group’s Managing Director competed in the Global Challenge because of a strong desire he possesses to take on new and varied challenges. He explains "Having married at an early age and devoted twenty years to developing a

successful business as well as two great daughters I now have the freedom to nurture my spirit of adventure"

Early in October 2004, 12 identical 72ft ocean racing yachts set off from Portsmouth, each crewed by 17 ordinary men and women and led by a professional skipper. It was tough because they raced ‘the wrong way’ around the world - against the prevailing winds and currents.

Stopping in Buenos Aires, Wellington, Sydney, Cape Town, Boston and La Rochelle before returning to Portsmouth, the race turned out to be a very close one and John’s team SAIC La Jolla produced a great result, finishing fifth overall from the twelve teams competing.