“I DON’T intend to miss a trick.”

That’s the warning to competitors from Mike Golding, Hampshire’s most experienced ocean racer, as he prepares to take on the Everest of sailing for the third time – and win.

The 48-year-old from Warsash is somewhat of a veteran on the singlehanded circuit and has racked up podium places in recent years.

Now Golding, one of the race favourites, aims to pool all his experience and pull out all the stops to win the greatest yacht race in the world – the Vendée Globe.

Click here to see Mike speaking to Will Carson

“I go into every race with a view to win,” he said. “To me this has long since finished being a challenge just to sail round the world – I don’t mean that arrogantly but I’ve been there, done that.

“Now the objective is to do it better and faster and always with a view to winning.”

But despite his years of experience, Golding admits that the prospect of sailing through the treacherous Southern Ocean still worries him.

“Of course it still scares me,” he said.

“You can’t go into the Southern Ocean without a certain amount of fear.

“At the end of the day you can’t control everything that happens down there.

“But if I worried too much about them I wouldn’t be in this game and you just have to press on and take each day as it comes.

“It’s a great adventure.

“Each and every Vendée is different to the last – each and every passage is completely different, so there’s still enjoyment from the sailing side of it.”

Click here to see Ecover III in action

Golding is one of seven British entries, the largest number of Brits ever to compete in the race. “It’s great to have so many Brits racing this year,” he said.

“Many of them have sailed with me and worked with me in the past ands it gives me a real buzz to see guys coming up in the sport who we have had some involvement with.

“Sailing and the Vendée has got more and more recognition in the UK and this edition will up the ante again.

“Hopefully we will see more and more British people entering in years to come.”

As time counts down to the November 9 start in Les Sables D’Olonne in France, Golding said his focus is set firmly on achieving glory in the race onboard his yacht Ecover III.

He said: “I’m looking forward to getting on with it.

“An entry in the Vendée is the culmination of many years of work, and each team has been working hard for a long time now.

“Right now in the final few weeks we just can’t wait to start. This Vendée is perhaps more important than any other race I’ve done.

“I want to see a better result, which for me is going to be difficult because I came third last time.

“I realise it could be my last Vendée so I want to put my all into it and I don’t intend to miss a trick. I intend to pull out all the stops and do the very best I can.”