After a career as a professional skipper that began at the age of 18, Pip Hare started sailing competitively late in life by participating, like many sailors, in the Mini-Transat in 2011. She repeated the experience two years later and then chose to enter a larger class in 2015 by starting the Transat Jacques Vabre on a Class40.
In 2018, the British skipper chose to turn her dreams into reality by taking over the reins of the IMOCA Suberbigou, built in 2000 by Bernard Stamm.
Pip Hare is above all a competitor. At the helm of the veteran of the fleet, the Briton could finally savor the happiness of being at the start on November 8, 2020, the happy conclusion of two years of hard work in preparation. The skipper left Les Sables d'Olonne with several objectives: to finish, to tell a story and to withstand all the trials of the race.
For many skippers and observers, Pip Hare, by her courage, tenacity and self-sacrifice is THE revelation of this ninth edition. The sailor has impressed many. Everyone recognizes the sensational race that she has achieved alongside foilers seven years younger on average than her boat. All along the course, she made her monohull move forward with talent, achieving incredible sailing times compared to its usual capacities.
In 2021, she bought Louis Burton's IMOCA boat (Bureau Vallée 2) and pursued her dream of sailing alongside Medallia. She quickly got used to her new boat and even finished 12th in the Route du Rhum in 2022.
2023: Retour à La Base - 11th
2023: Transat Jacques Vabre - 12th
2023: Rolex Fastnet Race - 27th
2022: Route du Rhum - 12th
2022: Vendée Arctique - 13th
2022: Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - 17th
| Name | MEDALLIA |
|---|---|
| Sail number | GBR 77 |
| Architect | VPLP - Verdier |
| Construction | 2015, CDK Technologies, Port-La-Forêt |
| Former names | Banque Populaire VIII, Bureau Vallée II |
| Length | 18,28 m |
|---|---|
| Beam | 5,80 m |
| Draught | 4,5 m |
| Weight | 6,5 tonnes |
| Mast height | 29 m |
| Mast type | Wing mast |
| Foils | Yes |
| Sail area max. | |
| Upwind | 300 m2 |
| Downwind | 600 m2 |
Morgan Lagravière, recent winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre, stopped by the IMOCA office to give us an update on the situation at sea. The 32 sailors taking part in the Retour à La Base, led by Yoann Richomme, are clos…
•••The skippers were already in their wet weather gear when the news broke. The IMOCA boats are staying in port. No start this Sunday, the weather forecast in the Bay of Biscay is too violent.
•••If you look through the list of skippers and co-skippers for the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre 2023, you will discover that the biggest representation of any nation in the race, apart from France, is from Brit…
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