After months of preparation and training, Poole-based professional sailor Pip Hare casts off to begin her toughest voyage yet. She’s participating in a gruelling race around the world, one that will see her sail across some of the roughest seas on the planet…
Poole-based sailor Pip Hare is one of 34 sailors competing in one of sport’s ultimate endurance challenges. Namely, the Vendée Globe. On 8th November, she set off from Les Sables d’Olonne, France, on a race around the world.
Each competitor in the race must sail alone and non-stop around the globe without assistance. They will have to contend with harsh conditions and brutal weather, and cope with being alone at sea for months.
Writing on her blog, Hare, 46, described the 24,000-mile race as “one of the toughest sporting events on the planet.”
“Racing alone at sea forces me to be the best person I possibly could be,” she said. “I love the ocean, I love the challenge, I want always to improve.”
For former RNLI worker Hare, competing in the Vendée Globe has been a lifelong dream. From the moment she first read about the race as a teenager, she was captivated by the challenge.
“There was no question in my mind,” Hare wrote in a Q&A on her website. “From that moment I knew this was something I wanted to do”.
She intends to share videos and write regular blog posts to keep supporters updated throughout her mammoth voyage.
WHAT IS THE VENDÉE GLOBE?
Founded in 1989 by Philippe Jeantot, the Vendée Globe takes place every four years. Sailors travel around the world by way of the ‘three capes’ — The Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, Cape Leeuwin in Australia, and Cape Horn in South America. Fewer than 100 sailors have completed the race, and that number includes only seven women. Having spent the last few months training in Poole, Pip Hare is chasing the female record set by Dame Ellen MacArthur in 2001. MacArthur finished in just 94 days, and went on to break the world record for fastest solo circumnavigation in 2005.
Hare’s 60ft IMOCA-class yacht ‘Medallia’ has been based in Poole Quay’s boat haven. The marina provides easy access to the English Channel, described by her team as “the ideal place to train in a 60ft boat”.
Marina officials have described it as a great honour to accommodate the Vendée Globe yacht and to provide Pip with a home leading up to the race.
For more local sport stories, click here. And you can also follow HQB Media on all our social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
