CHRISTMAS Day was just another day in the Southern Ocean for Golding, his fiancee Andrea Bacon explained.

While she sat down with her family and tucked into a traditional festive lunch of turkey and trimmings, washed down with Chablis, her husband-to-be was on his own for the 38th consecutive day, doing his best to celebrate the yuletide, in between setting sails, steering a course and making repairs.

But churning through rough seas at around 25 knots, Golding had some special treats to enjoy.

They included around 20 lovingly wrapped presents, a Christmas cake and pudding, crackers and poppers, CDs, books and tapes, all measured carefully before they were loaded to make sure they stayed within the strict weight allowance.

There was also a Christmas hat and banner, some port and whisky to set December 25 apart from the rest of his long lonely days at sea.

During the day, he made phone calls to Andrea and his family. They have all had to work hard at keeping his spirits high since the start of the race, as one problem after another has befallen him.

"He rang last week when his watermaker had broken and said he was turning back because he only had two litres of water left," Andrea explained.

"I said 'Well looking on the bright side, I suppose you'll be home for Christmas'. He rang back an hour later and said that was the best thing I could have said.

"He'd sat down and decided he definitely did not want to be here for Christmas so spent the hour getting the watermaker to work."

"Christmas is a difficult time for both of us - I feel something is missing. I am also paranoid about icebergs and I know he is going through a lot of ice, which means he has to stay awake.

"It is freezing, big fast running seas - so I am constantly thinking of him and worrying about him."