Vendee Globe 2012

Despre cursele de barci, regate, raliuri, transaturi, et caetera
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dan_matiesanu
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Re: Vendee Globe 2012

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da, imagineaza-ti-l pe unul din baietii astia ca dupa ce trece Hornu zice... stii, mie de fapt imi place pe mare, mai dau o tura! fuck the sponsors!

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Re: Vendee Globe 2012

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Vorbeam noi odata tot pe aici despre recorduri si cum se fac ele de-adevaratelea!
Iata in poza cum e sigilat axul elicei la o barca din VG! La un concurent s-a rupt sigiliul accidental in mijlocul oceanului si a primit penalizare pt asta!
Nu aveţi permisiunea de a vizualiza fişierele ataşate acestui mesaj.
Ubi allii finiverant, inde incipimus nos!

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Re: Vendee Globe 2012

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Ce frumos! Alan Roura era cam cu moralul pe minus de cateva zile si de la uscat a primit scrisoarea asta!
http://www.alanroura.com/index.php/les- ... 8-novembre" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Vendee Globe 2012

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Ungurul Nandor Fa a terminat Vendee Globe. Pe locul 8! A doua oara! La 64 de ani! Cu barca fara defecte!

De la conferinta de presa:

Nandor Fa, Spirit of Hungary
"Cette aventure a commencé lors d’un dîner en famille. Je leur ai dit que je voulais repartir pour 4 ans en IMOCA. Mes filles ont dit qu’elles comprenaient et qu’elles ne savaient même pas pourquoi j’avais arrêté. Ma femme m’a juste demandé un jour de réflexion et après elle était d’accord elle aussi."

Devenir une machine
"Il faut savoir se transformer en machine et arrêter de penser en humain. Autrement ce n’est pas possible de réussir cette course. C’est parfois tellement frustrant et les conditions sont tellement dures qu’on dirait que c’est sans fin. Des fois je pensais aux leaders qui faisaient des pointes à 30 nœuds. J’étais sur le même rythme mais avec un bateau plus lent."

"À certains instants, je ne savais pas si j’allais pouvoir continuer et passer les moments d’après. Mais j’avais confiance en mon bateau. Parfois j’étais vraiment frustré, je criais après Dieu « Fais ce que tu veux, mais je dois retourner auprès de ma famille! Je dois finir! ». Après je me calmais et je réussissais à me re-concentrer."

Affronter les éléments
"Le bateau a vraiment subi les assauts des océans. Je suis ravi de voir qu’il n’y a aucun problème dessus même s’il est fatigué. Dans l’Indien j’ai tapé quelque chose avec la quille, peut être une baleine. Donc j’ai passé plus de la moitié de la course avec une quille sans protection, avec l’inox directement au contact de l’eau. J’ai perdu mon A7 dans des conditions dantesques et aussi le reacher, qui s’est fatigué. Sans ces voiles le bateau n’était plus à 100%."

"Huit voiles ce n’est pas assez. Il faut que la classe IMOCA et les organisateurs nous permettent de prendre plus de voiles. Même le plus formidable des bateaux ne sera rien sans voile. Je n’arrive pas à comprendre comment les leaders ont pu naviguer aussi vite sans jamais avoir de problème, sans perdre de voile."

"Après le cap Horn, c’était très dur, j’étais face aux vagues, avec 60 ou 70 nœuds de vent. Le bateau tapait dans les vagues, tout aurait pu casser. Je n’étais pas certain de terminer dans ces conditions. Mais tout s’est bien passé."

"Je croisais les doigts pour que le bateau tienne. Que le mât, les voiles et les bouts tiennent. Je suis très fier du bateau. Je n’avais plus qu’à me concentrer sur ce que je devais faire et sur la tactique à adopter."

Déjà des projets en tête
"J’ai passé beaucoup de temps à imaginer un nouveau bateau, à mémoriser ce que je pouvais améliorer pour une prochaine création. J’ai un bateau complet en tête. Je suis prêt à le construire, mais pas pour moi, pour quelqu’un d’autre. J’aimerais vraiment essayer de naviguer sur une telle machine mais ce n’est plus pour moi. Mon futur est auprès de ma famille, de mon petit fils pour le voir grandir. Je ne tiens pas à être dans les registres du Vendée Globe comme le plus vieux marin de l’épreuve. Je n’ai plus ma place dans ce circuit si professionnel."
Ubi allii finiverant, inde incipimus nos!

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Re: Vendee Globe 2012

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Am fost in vizita la templul sacru: Sable d'Olone. Vazut catave barci si scena goala.

Mancat ultimul peste la un chios de fish and chips si, pt ca eram patru, vanzatoarea a fost simpatica si l-a taiat in patru!
Si, intre alte povesti, ne-a zis-o pe asta:
- A venit sa manance la ea echipa tehnica a lui Alex Tomson. Erau 24 de oameni!
- A venit si echipa lui Nandor Fa. Erau doi oameni din care unul era skipperul!
Ubi allii finiverant, inde incipimus nos!

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Re: Vendee Globe 2012

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Armel a vorbit!
Sailing is not my current priority. Ce atata romantism a la Moitessier, aici se vede profesionistul rece si calculat!

Armel, how is your return to normal life going after your exceptional Vendée Globe?

Armel Le Cléac’h: “It’s going well. I’ve been making the most of the victory, which rewarded ten years of work. I have had a very busy schedule since the finish with a marathon in front of the media. I had two or three incredibly busy weeks. It was like being in a whirlwind. But I managed to get a few days off with my family to get away from things. Since I got back, the requests from media and sponsors have been pouring in. It’s been very busy, but I enjoy those moments.”

Now you have had time to stand back, do you understand the full extent of what you accomplished?

“Yes, I can see things more clearly than when I finished in Les Sables d’Olonne. I’m gradually understanding that we did something remarkable with the team. I also understood the impact of the Vendée Globe on the public and media. The race was followed by a lot of people. I already saw the fervour around the event four years ago, but it’s clear that interest has grown considerably with this eighth edition. The fact that I won also changed things. You are treated differently as the winner. People recognise me in the street now (laughs)!”

In order to win the Vendée Globe, you had to did deep physically and mentally. Have you recovered now?

“No, not yet. Mentally, I’m gradually returning to Earth. Physically, I feel better, but I haven’t yet got over it. Everything you do requires a lot of concentration and that generates tiredness. You have to deal with that to recover gradually as the weeks go by. I have to sift through all the requests. I could spend two years going around to all the schools, who have asked me to be their patron of honour. But I can’t do all that. I’ll shortly be returning to the sport.”

Apart from the race and the epic duel with Alex Thomson, what else has left its mark on you in this eighth Vendée Globe?
“There were various races within the race, which made it all fascinating. The close battle between Jean-Pierre Dick, Yann Eliès and Jean Le Cam was incredible. There were also some pleasant surprises like Eric Bellion, who made a lot of progress during his Vendée Globe while remaining humble. It was quite a performance. As was what Conrad Colman achieved in making it back to Les Sables under jury rig: incredible! I can’t mention all the skippers but I saw there were eighteen boats at the finish and that is good. We need as many boats as possible to return to enable these projects to succeed. When you see the impact on people and the media of these finishes in Les Sables… Each sponsor who completes the race has achieved a win. I wasn’t able to attend all the finishes, but like many people I followed them on Internet. I really enjoyed seeing these great pictures, seeing the joy and emotion on the faces of all those that made it back to Les Sables d’Olonne. I’ll see them all at the prize-giving ceremony on 13th May.”

There was a gap of fifty days between you and the final competitor, Sébastien Destremau (compared to 26 between François Gabart and Alessandro di Benedetto 4 years ago). How do you feel about those numbers?

“It’s not really a surprise in my opinion. Before the start, we knew that there would be huge gaps at the finish. There is a big difference between those aiming for a good result and those who see it as an adventure above all. The preparation, the performance of the boats, the experience of the sailors: all of that together means big gaps. Everyone does it at their pace depending on their ability and experience.”

“It saddens me to see arguments between competitors”

With some aiming to win and others not aiming for anything particular in the rankings, how is it possible to bring everyone together?

“Firstly, I’d like to say it saddens me to see arguments developing between sailors via the media. There’s no reason to display that in front of the media. You can pick up the phone and say what you think directly to the person. It’s easier and more efficient… Having said that, I think it is important to keep those two dimensions with very different projects – those aiming to win and those looking for adventure with less funding. That doesn’t bother me.

The Vendée Globe is like a marathon, with some taking two hours and others 5-6 hours finishing the race at their own pace. But from the first to last, they are all there to compete and see their time in the rankings. What I mean is that people shouldn’t denigrate the sporting aspect. They should show some respect for the race they are taking part in. If you don’t like competing and fighting against others, you can sail around the world outside of the race and just cruise around.”

Are you in a hurry to get back on a boat?
“No, I don’t really feel the need to get back out there immediately. I’m not like some, who are already out there on their Figaro boats, which is brave of them. I did that myself after my previous two Vendée Globe races. I wanted to get out there on the attack again to forget the disappointment of coming second. This time the situation is very different. I’m going to take advantage of the coming weeks to get over winning the race. Sailing is not my current priority. When I have the time, I do other things, take advantage of life ashore. I have a boat that is being built. When she is in the water, I’ll be very busy once again.”

“My Ultime is due to be launched in August”

How is the construction of your maxi trimaran Banque Populaire IX going and what is your race programme?

“Banque Populaire IX is in the assembly phase: the three hulls, crossbeams and mast have arrived at CDK in Lorient (Brittany). Everything is going well and the pieces of the puzzle are gradually coming together. Banque Populaire IX will be a fantastic boat with the very latest ideas, foils to lift her. She is due to be launched in August. I’ll take part in the Transat Jacques Vabre at the end of the year. That will be our first race. We’ll remain humble tackling that, as we won’t have had much time to get to know the boat and unleash her full potential. But it will be an opportunity to race across the Atlantic. Then, there will be the delivery trip back to Brittany.

Then, it will be time to look at the 2018 programme with a schedule set up with the other Ultime boats. There is likely to be a crewed race in the spring, and then I’ll take part in the Route du Rhum. Along with the Vendée Globe, it’s the other victory to aim for, when you are an ocean racer. I’d like to get my revenge after my bad luck in 2014, when I was unable to take part because I was injured. Then, in 2019, I’ll take part in the famous solo round the world race on the Ultime setting out from Brest. There are going to be some big names - François Gabart, Thomas Coville, Sébastien Josse, and maybe Francis Joyon...”

You haven’t been back aboard your IMOCA Banque Populaire VIII since you stepped ashore on 19th January. You must have grown attached to her? Wasn’t it hard suddenly leaving her?

“I didn’t feel any sense of separation. I knew before the start that the boat was sold and that we would no longer be together after the Vendée Globe. I am committed to another project and the story continues for the boat, which will line up again in the 2020 Vendée Globe in the hands of Louis Burton. The handover is complete. Louis and his team asked if I could spend a couple of days aboard with them. Why not? It will be nice to sail her again and to offer them my experience.”

We know that you won’t be back in 2020 in the Vendée Globe. But maybe some time in the future?

“No, I’ll never do the Vendée Globe again. My programme continues aboard an Ultime. Since the start of my career, I have taken things step by step. After the solo round the world voyage in 2019, I’d like to sail with a crew, and maybe sail around the world… I also want to share experiences with others and sail with a crew.”
Ubi allii finiverant, inde incipimus nos!

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Re: Vendee Globe 2012

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Piramida iahtingului de competitie, dupa Mark Turner, seful de la VOR.
piramida.png
Nu aveţi permisiunea de a vizualiza fişierele ataşate acestui mesaj.
Ubi allii finiverant, inde incipimus nos!

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Re: Vendee Globe 2012

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Mai multe despre noua barca a lui Alex Thomson aici.

Dévoilé début du mois, le nouvel IMOCA Hugo Boss a fait sensation avec son cockpit totalement fermé. Une option radicale pour un bateau conçu à 100 % pour le Vendée Globe. Nous avons appelé son architecte Vincent Lauriot-Prévost du cabinet VPLP qui nous en dit un peu plus.

« L’option maîtresse c’est le Vendée Globe. On a fait le choix de ne pas faire de concession pour l’équipage. L’objectif prioritaire c’est le solitaire. »

« L’idée d’un cockpit complètement fermé est née avec Alex. Pour sa protection, c’est vrai. Mais ça n’a de sens que s’il y a d’autres vertus. L’intérêt ici, c’est d’améliorer le centre de gravité et la vision du skipper sur ce qu’il se passe devant. C’est aussi d’abaisser la bôme et donc la voilure pour optimiser l’aérodynamisme. »

Quand on l’interroge sur la position de la barre, l’architecte nous explique : « Vous savez, les séquences de barre sont assez rares sur un Vendée Globe. Il restera principalement à l’intérieur dans cette fosse étanche. Pour les sorties de port, il sera à l’extérieur avec une barre télescopique. Sinon pour sortir, il pourra passer par les panneaux sur le sommet du roof. » Quant au cockpit, l’architecte reste discret mais nous explique néanmoins « qu’il est concentré autour de quatre winches. Tout est à portée de main pour minimiser les efforts. »

« C’est un pas à faire. Avant, les avions aussi avaient des postes de pilotage ouverts. On est dans cette démarche de cockpits plus fermés depuis le maxi-trimaran MACIF de François Gabart. Le but c’est de s’adapter à ces nouveaux concepts. Alex a quand même cinq Vendée Globe derrière lui avec cinq bateaux différents signés par autant d’architectes. Il a eu le temps de se faire une idée de ce qu’il voulait et de ce qu’il était prêt à endurer. »
Et les foils ?

« Les foils* sont conçus pour le reaching et le portant. Notre priorité n’était pas la polyvalence ni la performance au près. Ce qu’on a cherché, c’est d’être le moins pénalisé possible par la traînée. On a tout fait pour qu’il soit le plus léger possible et pour que le rendement aérodynamique soit le plus efficace. »

« Pour la carène, on s’est inspiré de ce que nous avions réalisé pour Charal mais avec une approche un peu différente. On a privilégié une traînée minimum à une puissance minimum. Et on a fait beaucoup de travail de ce côté. »

« Lorsqu’on a dressé les caractéristiques d’Hugo Boss, Charal était en construction. Donc on n’avait pas encore eu de retour sur l’eau. Nous avons utilisé les études que nous avions réalisées pour le bateau de Jérémie que l’on a enrichi. Mais ce sont deux marins différents avec deux approches différentes. L’un est plus extrême que l’autre mais je vous laisse deviner lequel des deux (sourire). »

« Forcément il y a des points forts et des points faibles. C’est un bateau où on a pris des options. On n’a pas cherché la puissance donc il devra aller vite pour aller vite. »

* Le service presse nous a indiqué qu’il faudra attendre le 19 septembre, jour du baptême du bateau, pour voir les photos des foils en place.
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Pip Hare in VG 2020

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Un articol foarte detaliat despre pregatirea lui Pip Hare pt VG 2020


Vendée Globe 2020: Pip Hare on preparing for the world’s toughest race
Pip Hare



What’s it really like to prepare for the world’s toughest ocean race, the Vendée Globe? Pip Hare reveals how hard it can be

It would be easy to assume the toughest challenge of the Vendée Globe Race is racing a 60ft IMOCA alone, battling the elements, sleep deprived and exhausted. But for me, striving to get to the start line on a meagre budget and tight timescale, the two-year build up to the race, has caused me to dig deeper than at any other time in my life. Only 87 sailors have ever finished this race, but how many more have not made it to the start line?


The Vendée Globe is raced in IMOCA class yachts and perhaps the hardest part of entering this race is acquiring a boat to race in – a new build would cost millions. I got my lucky break in 2018 when the 20-year-old Superbigou became available for charter at a very cheap rate. Originally campaigned by Bernard Stamm in the 2000 Vendée Globe, Superbigou has made four successful circumnavigations, most recently in the 2016/7 race where she came 12th skippered by Swiss sailor Alan Roura.

When I launched my campaign in November 2018 I knew what I wanted it to look like; a well-prepared boat with a small, functional team to manage the project and allow me to focus on sailing and training. But without a title sponsor this ideal was not going to be possible.
vendee-globe-2020-pip-hare-superbigou-bow-credit-Francois-Van-Melleghem

Without a boat how could you possibly convince a backer to fund your campaign, and without the backer to buy your boat how do you get started? With Superbigou I saw an opportunity to fundraise as I went. The charter fee was payable monthly and the upfront investment to get the boat sailing again was minimal as the boat was still within class after the 2016 Vendée.

The Vendée Globe race only comes around once every four years, so I decided to make it happen by delivering as much as I could alone, fundraising and building my team along the way. I had to give it my best shot, even if that meant giving it all of me.
Getting a place

In order to secure one of 34 race entries I had to finish three qualification races in 2019. Having started the year with no IMOCA experience I needed to train hard and smart with an objective to ‘compete not just complete’, building performance along the way. I designed a three-phase approach to training, using the qualification races as milestones to punctuate my learning.

Phase one was all about an accelerated learning of the basics, and took me up to April 2019 and the Bermudes 1000 Race, where my objective was to finish. The second phase, from May to July, focussed on performance, and ended with the Rolex Fastnet Race. The final phase of last year was about building endurance over distance, working up to the Transat Jacques Vabre in November.

Superbigou is a simple but strong boat so I had no problem learning the systems. The biggest adjustment was getting used to managing the size alone – with the biggest spinnaker flying she carries over 570m2 of sail.

Superbigou is also one of the most physically challenging IMOCAs in the fleet; my cockpit is tiny with little protection from the elements, all the halyards are managed on the mast so I need to go forward not just for sail changes but also for reefing, my spinnakers are all in snuffers, rather than on furlers, my winches are all top grind (I have the only IMOCA without a coffee grinder) and my canting keel is managed from down below using block and tackle onto an electric winch. There are many systems I’d love to change, to simplify or improve, and we’re addressing as much as budget will allow.

Stacking weight in the right place on the boat is crucial to performance and lugging 90kg sails around the deck is part of everyday sailing. When we’re going upwind I move them inside to the windward side of the sail locker; off the breeze they come out on deck, strapped to the quarter or on the transom. When sails are dry it’s hard work, but once they get wet the spinnakers become leaden lumps.

Fitness and strength are vital to sailing Superbigou safely and fast, so for the first time in my life I have had to incorporate weight training into my regime. Physically preparing to race the IMOCA has been a blend of endurance-building cardio work, weight training for power, and conditioning exercises to prevent injury.

I train six days a week with weight lifting in the gym and at least one hour of cardio a day. The cardio would be easy to miss out, with such long days, so wherever possible I commute on my bike or by running. I see a chiropractor once a week, and together we’re designing exercises I can do on board, which will help me to self-treat and stay injury free.

I’ve also had to adjust my diet, eating more protein and allowing myself to bulk up before races. This is not something I enjoy. Putting on weight is an uncomfortable thing to do but in the five weeks it took to sail to Brazil and back I lost seven kilos, so I can’t afford to start the Vendée lean.

My aim for the middle of last year was to work on performance, and I wanted a co-skipper who would push me during the Fastnet. I struck gold when Paul Larsen agreed to race with me.
King of speed

Paul has held the world speed sailing record since 2012 when his Sail Rocket project achieved 65.45 knots, so I’ll admit that I was apprehensive he might find me a disappointing co-skipper.
vendee-globe-2020-pip-hare-profile-sail-sorting

Sorting the sails for the season ahead

Throughout my sailing career I’ve had doubts about my abilities on the racetrack – especially this year, when I have been learning the boat alone without the luxury of a coach. But from the beginning we gelled well as a team, we pushed in the same way, had the same work ethic and my self confidence grew.

Working with Paul has taught me so much about priorities and where to focus my energy. He showed me that every small detail will make a difference and I have yet to meet a more positive, inquisitive, and energised person both on and off the water. I could not have asked for a better mentor.

Our Fastnet Race was the stuff of dreams; after 23 hours of racing the oldest boat in the fleet we were leading the IMOCAs on the water to the Scilly Isles. In my wildest fantasy I would never have imagined this was possible, but it made me understand that there will always be a place for good seamanship, hard work and smart tactics, no matter how old your boat.
Unexpected setbacks

The third race of 2019 was the Transat Jacques Vabre; it was my first ocean crossing in the IMOCA and represented my biggest risk for the whole year. Superbigou was in serviceable condition but tired, I needed to sail 10,000 miles from France to Brazil and back, keeping the boat in one piece.

It was not just vital to finish the race and secure my qualifying mileage, but I also needed to get the boat back in good time for a refit before Christmas. I was torn between wanting to compete and needing to keep the boat safe.

Just three weeks before the start my co-skipper broke his arm and I was left with no partner to race with. It seemed like I was being challenged with a new problem every day. After a lot of organisation, the race committee agreed the Dutch sailor Ysbrand Endt could join me as co-skipper.


I arrived at the TJV race village stressed and tired, with a boat that needed preparation. But I was supported by a crew of dedicated volunteers who grafted through the days to get us race ready. In a testament to their efforts, I had no breakages or gear failures over the 10,000 miles of sailing that followed. My boat was prepared with passion and it showed.

The TJV and delivery home was the perfect ending to my year. The race itself ended with a five-day match race against Alexia Barrier and Joan Mulloy in a similar aged IMOCA. After nearly 5,000 miles of racing we finished just 11 minutes apart.

It was utterly rewarding to spend five weeks at sea in my boat. I tuned into to it, learning the different sounds and feelings, growing more confident with every mile under the keel. I learned that Superbigou loves to be pushed and will pay back effort with performance. I became braver and finished the year feeling like a competitor and with enough miles to secure my place on the Vendée Globe start line.
The emotional cost

This pace of life has taken its toll. I’m tired and at times it has been lonely, carrying all of the risk, stress, and sheer volume of work on my shoulders.

It is totally ironic that I am so at peace on the ocean alone, but the responsibility I’ve had to manage on shore has been isolating in the extreme. I’ve not had time or capacity to consider anything outside my own campaign. I often feel guilty about neglecting the people I care about and reticent to share my problems as I don’t want to burden them with it.

But every day I’ve moved forward, focussing on priorities for that moment. I make small objectives to get me to the next stage and find a way around obstacles. The trick is not to look up.

I’ve only ever retired from one race in my life and I will never accept a negative status quo when racing, it seems that I am tougher, more direct, less compromising when in race mode and I’ve tried to channel that part of my personality to keep things going ashore.

The M word

I’m working with the smallest budget of any Vendée competitor. I set my fundraising goal at £1.2 million to deliver the best race I was capable of. That would allow me to employ a small team of professionals to support my campaign, and include a new sail wardrobe and upgrades to onboard equipment as well as the costs of racing for the two years prior to the Vendée Globe. I knew that finding the ‘big ticket’ corporate sponsors was going to take time and so I needed a strategy that would allow me to get moving from the beginning.

I have a three-tier approach to my funding: crowd funding; a business syndicate; and corporate sponsorship. When I launched the campaign I set up a crowd-funding appeal and was absolutely blown away by the generosity of people all over the world. Donations from the general public raised over £40,000.

My business syndicate is a plan I created following several conversations with local businesses in Poole that were keen to support me but did not have the capital for a corporate sponsorship package, which starts at £10,000. Business Syndicate membership costs £5,000, payable in monthly installments, and these memberships have covered my monthly basic costs.

The return to members is not branding but experiential, including regular talks and open days on the boat to which members can invite clients and employees. These early investors have made my last year possible and I will be forever in their debt.

Corporate sponsorship packages are the big-ticket items: title, gold, and silver level sponsorships, which will eventually get to brand the boat. It was obvious from the start of 2019 I’d have to compromise on my ideal budget, the objective was to qualify for the Vendée and to get racing and I had to work with what I had in any given moment. I’d need to make tough decisions on what to spend my money on.

One immediate saving I could make was to manage the entire project myself until I’d raised the funds to employ a team. This would mean working full-time and without salary for as long as it took. So I found a lodger and have lived off my savings for the past year, working solely on my Vendée campaign. The workload has been immense and diverse, ranging from updating my website to wiring in wind instruments at the top of the mast.

When the workload has been too great for one person I have appealed for volunteers and both friends and strangers have responded giving their time for free, cleaning, carrying, sorting, sanding. I’m not used to asking for help and it’s been a big mental shift to make this step but every time I have asked, help has been given. In this way I have been carried through the year.

Through a lot of hard work and juggling many balls I was able to deliver my first year for just under £350,000 (in cash and value in kind). There’s no escaping the fact I still need to raise a large amount of cash to compete. My winter refit is critical to reliability and over the next year I need to step back from the day-to-day running of this project and focus on my own preparations.

A huge part of my time now is taken up looking for sponsorship; phone calls, emails, meetings. I chase down every lead, I try every opportunity. It’s already the toughest part of what I do and for a shy introvert who hates the idea of self-promotion it is harder than you could possibly imagine. I am driven by my passion for this race, but the act of asking, selling and promoting is more draining than anything else I do.
Is it worth it?

Why put myself through this stress and exhaustion? Why push myself so hard for so long? The constant joy and grounding force of the last year has been the time I have spent training afloat. I’ve loved every minute of sailing this year, and I have grown as a sailor.

I have connected with my boat, I can tell from below decks what tweaks need to be made when we fall off the pace, I’m altogether casual about sleeping when we are cruising at 20 knots. The energy and excitement I feel when pushing the boat hard is incredible.

Sometimes I look up at the 29m mast and I think: ‘This is madness’ – to race this boat alone, non-stop around the world, being forced to perform for three months solid. But it’s the magnitude of this event that appeals to me. It is forcing me to be the best version of myself. It is pushing me to improve and to endure at every level. Who would not want to do that?
How to qualify for the Vendée Globe

This year’s race is a sell-out. Vendée Globe skippers are allocated places on the following criteria, in order of priority:

Skippers who completed the 2016/17 Vendée Globe.
New build IMOCAs (declaration of build must be post 2017).
Cumulative mileage sailed in IMOCA Globe Series races (double-handed race mileage counted at 50%).
Four wild cards: these entries may be chosen by the committee and given places in favour of any other skippers who have qualified through the above system.

Pip’s journey to the Vendée

I’ve been a professional sailor since leaving school and, although I love all sailing, my real calling is solo ocean racing. I first read about the Vendée Globe when I was a teenager living in land-locked Cambridgeshire and since then have dreamed of competing in the race.

Eleven years ago, I started on that road by taking part in the OSTAR, a single-handed transatlantic race, and since then I have steadily worked my way through the short-handed racing ranks, competing in Minis, Class 40s and finally securing my IMOCA at the beginning of 2019.

First published in the May 2020 edition of Yachting World. You can find out more about Pip’s campaign and support her in the Vendée Globe at: piphareoceanracing.com
Ubi allii finiverant, inde incipimus nos!

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Flottillenadmiral
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Membru din: Mar Apr 19, 2011 7:35 pm
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Re: Vendee Globe 2012

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Am pus mai multe comentarii si analize pt VG 2020 pe FB aici.
Ubi allii finiverant, inde incipimus nos!

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