Vendée Globe: British Pip Hare (Medallia) forced to retire after dismasting

Pip Hare was able to tell the organizers that she was safe and sound after her dismasting. MAXPPP – Guillaume Saligot/Ouest-France

The competitor was forced to abandon the race after this damage suffered during the night of Sunday to Monday, December 16. According to the race management, she is not injured and can sail to Australia.

Pip Hare (Medallia), 16th in the Vendée Globe, suffered a dismasting during the night from Sunday to Monday south of Australia, but the 50-year-old British sailor is safe and sound, announced the race management. The sailor managed to assemble a makeshift rig to reach Australia, around 800 nautical miles (nearly 1,500 km) from her position on Monday and where she is expected within a week.

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Pip Hare is not injured, and her team is working closely with race management to secure the boat,” added race management in a statement sent to the media. The dismasting took place at 22:45 French time on Sunday (21:45 GMT). The causes of this major damage, the first dismasting of the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe, are not yet known.

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The sailor was 15th at the time of her accident. MAXPPP – Andrew Matthews

 

Undamaged hull

The sailor was in 15th position in the race at the time of the damage, about a hundred miles behind her competitor Romain Attanasio (Fortinet – Best Western), who was not asked by the race management to go and lend her a hand.

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“Her hull is not damaged and she is not injured”, Attanasio explained Monday. “I spoke to her via email and told her I was sad for her, it was great to sail with her,” he added.

Very unstable wind

The two sailors have been sailing for 24 hours in a low pressure area where “there is very unstable wind, around 30 knots (55 km/h), the sea is disgusting and very squalls”, detailed the 47-year-old sailor. Pip Hare finished the race in 19th place in 2021, sailing for 95 days, 11 hours, 37 minutes and 30 seconds. This is the third withdrawal from this 10th edition after Maxime Sorel (V and B – Monbana – Mayenne) and Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée).