Vendee Globe 2012-2013: Mike Golding penalised after protest from fellow Brit Alex Thomson Golding, lying in seventh place 189 miles behind race leader Armel Le Cleach, having caught up some 200 miles was happy with his position and fully expecting the penalty. "For me it is good, all going to plan so far," he reported. It is interesting to see the number of boats which have already pulled out with technical problems, especially considering we are not even in the South yet. You would like to think the attrition rate will not be as high in the south, but if it is you could be looking at just seven or eight finishers. But, equally, you are also thinking that now it will be boats from this group [the top eight] who might be next to drop out. That really gives you pause for thought. I don't want to be that boat. But does it change the way I will sail? Not a bit. It is about just keeping it all together. Gutkowski's retirement brings the total number of abandonments in this Vendee Glone to six, leaving just 14 boats in the race after 11 days of racing. At the same stage in the last race in 2008-09, there had been four retirements from 30 starters though that number had risen to 19 by the end of the 21,000 nms race. "Having no autopilot means I can't race, and if I can't race, I have to retire," said the Polish skipper. It's like driving at night on a road you don't know, a road with many turns, surrounded with trees. Suddenly your lights go off and you can't slow down. How many chances do you have to survive? Being brave is not only about fighting, it is also about knowing where to stop.