'I'd Go Faster if I Had a Keel' - Vendee Globe's Dick is Carrying On Keel-Less

25th January 2013

#vg12 – To stop or continue is the dilemma that Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec 3) continues to battle with. He will make his decision Sunday. Heading towards the west of the Azores in fickle southwest winds of 15-20 knots, moving around to the south this evening, as he approaches the islands it gives Jean-Pierre Dick time to get the measure of the situation. He is assessing his boat and it’s performance with different sail combinations and filled ballasts. Is it stable enough? This is what he must decide. Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec 3) is determined individual and from the outset he was sailing to win but now to simply finish this hardcore race would be a victory in itself. Can he do it?

Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec 3) today on the French version of Vendee Globe LIVE explained his predicament. "I'm in the high, so there's only 12-13 knots of wind, in a situation that's not easy for a boat without her keel. I can't use large sails but the ballasts are full to keep some stability. I've talked to Bilou and Marc Guillemot, who had to experience the same situation in the past. Of course, I'd go faster if I had a keel but right now, I'm not thinking too much about my third place.
I'll see if I can finish the race, if the conditions allow, but I can't take too much risk for myself, or for the boat. I should sail off the Azores coast around the 27th, there should be around 25 knots of westerly wind there and that will help me see how the boat is doing when the sea and the wind are tougher. Then I'll try to make the right decision based on those elements and some people's opinions. So let's wait until the 27th.
Sometimes I feel like I'm windsurfing, you need to completely change the way you work on the boat. I've talked to some boat designers who told me about the calculations they had made, helping me choose what to do and what kind of sail to use. Also, because I've had hook issues, I don't want to use big sails because if they get stuck, the boat would capsize without her keel, and I would end up stuck inside my boat like Jean Le Cam in the last edition."
* It is a sign that the conclusion is imminent as the support teams of François Gabart (MACIF) and Armel Le Cleac'h (Banque Populaire) arrived today in the sleepy French port of Les Sables d'Olonne, in the Vendee region of France. The port is about to explode into life as tomorrow at 10am the race village will open in eager anticipation of the race winners. The support teams are preparing for the reception of their respective skippers. François Gabart is expected to arrive in the Vendee port on Saturday night. Armel Le Cleac'h (Banque Populaire) as it currently stands 6-7 hours later. He will be greeted by a wintry, cold southwest wind, switching to the northwest, into a blustery front, gusting up to 30 knots with rain
Rankings as of Thursday 24 January 2013, 20:00 (FR)
1. MACIF, Francois Gabart, 1013.5 nm to finish
2. Banque Populaire, Armel Le Cleac´h, 101.7 nm to leader
3. Virbac Paprec 3, Jean-Pierre Dick, 675.2 nm
4. HUGO BOSS, Alex Thomson, 728.0 nm
5. SynerCiel, Jean Le Cam, 2204.3 nm
6. Gamesa, Mike Golding, 2223.0 nm
7. Mirabaud, Dominique Wavre, 2659.0 nm
8. AKENA Verandas, Arnaud Boissieres, 2859.8 nm
9. ACCIONA 100% EcoPowered, Javier Sanso, 2918.4 nm
10. Votre Nom Autour du Monde avec EDM Projets, Bertrand de Broc, 3102.3 nm
11. Initiatives-coeur, Tanguy De Lamotte, 3400.6 nm
12. Team Plastique, Alessandro Di Benedetto, 4267.8 nm

Published in Vendee Globe

Tagged under

Vendee Globe

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

You might also want to read...

Vendée Globe Race FAQs

How many entries are there in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

33 participants.

How many women are in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

Six women (Alexia Barrier, Clarisse Cremer, Isabelle Joschke, Sam Davies, Miranda Merron, Pip Hare).

How many countries are racing in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

Nine nations (France, Germany, Japan, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Australia, and Great Britain)

Is Ireland racing in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

After much speculation following Galway man Enda O’Coineen’s 2016 race debut for Ireland, there were as many as four campaigns proposed at one point, but unfortunately, none have reached the start line.

What is the Vendee Globe Race?

The Vendée Globe is a sailing race round the world, solo, non-stop and without assistance. It takes place every four years and it is regarded as the Everest of sailing. The event followed in the wake of the Golden Globe which had initiated the first circumnavigation of this type via the three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn) in 1968.

What is the Vendée Globe Race record time to beat?

The record to beat is Armel Le Cléac’h 74 days 3h 35 minutes 46s set in 2017. Some pundits are saying the boats could beat a sub-60 day time.

How many miles is the Vendée Globe Race?

The number of theoretical miles to cover is 24,296 miles (45,000 km).

How many sails does each IMOCA boat carry?

A maximum of eight sails.

What is an IMOCA 60?

The IMOCA 60 ("Open 60"), is a development class monohull sailing yacht run by the International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA). The class pinnacle events are single or two-person ocean races, such as the Route du Rhum and the Vendée Globe.

How many previous winners are competing in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

Zero past winners are competing but two podiums 2017: Alex Thomson second, Jérémie Beyou third. It is also the fifth participation for Jean Le Cam and Alex Thomson, fourth for Arnaud Boissières and Jérémie Beyou.

Who is the youngest competitor in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

The youngest on this ninth edition of the race is Alan Roura, 27 years old.

Who is the oldest competitor in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

The oldest on this ninth edition is Jean Le Cam, 61 years old.

How many of the 33-boat Vendée Globe fleet are first-timers?

Over half the fleet are debutantes, totalling 18 first-timers.

How does the Vendée Globe 2020 race start?

The start procedure begins 8 minutes before the gun fires with the warning signal. At 4 minutes before, for the preparatory signal, the skipper must be alone on board, follow the countdown and take the line at the start signal at 13:02hrs local time. If an IMOCA crosses the line too early, it incurs a penalty of 5 hours which they will have to complete on the course before the latitude 38 ° 40 N (just north of Lisbon latitude). For safety reasons, there is no opportunity to turn back and recross the line. A competitor who has not crossed the starting line 60 minutes after the signal will be considered as not starting. They will have to wait until a time indicated by the race committee to start again. No departure will be given after November 18, 2020, at 1:02 p.m when the line closes.

When will the Vendée Globe 2020/2021 race finish?

The first boat could be home in sixty days. Expect the leaders from January 7th 2021 but to beat the 2017 race record they need to finish by January 19 2021.

What is the cost of an IMOCA 60?

Today, building a brand new IMOCA generally costs between 4.2 and €4.7million, without the sails but second-hand boats that are in short supply can be got for around €1m.

©Afloat 2020

Vendee Globe 2024 Key Figures