Pip Hare safe after overnight dismasting in Vendée Globe

On Sunday, 15 December, at 21:45 UTC, approximately 800 nautical miles south of Australia, the IMOCA Medallia, skippered by Pip Hare, dismasted while racing in 15th position in the Vendée Globe race.

Hare’s team issued a brief statement to say that she is safe. She is working with her technical team and the race management to secure the situation.

Hare is the skipper and CEO of Pip Hare Ocean Racing, and the 8th woman in the world to finish the Vendée Globe race.

Last week, MIN reported on Hare’s ‘hurt’ that the race was splitting, with newer boats stealing ahead.

A few hours before the dismasting incident, Hare posted a smiling video in a glorious sunset.

“It is just beautiful,” she said. “This sailing has been tough, intense & technically demanding.”

Hours later her team, and Vendée organisers, were issuing their statements.

On the 14 December, Hare effectively reached Australia with five weeks of sailing – she called the moment “mind blowing.”

She’d had an up and down night, she says. “I would be on the more powerful sail and not be able to hold it, and change to a smaller one and feel I was going too slow. It’s my usual thing, I do this so often, I change sails too often.… it’s been a good 24 hours of sailing, I’ve enjoyed it.

“The next week will be quite interesting,” Hare predicted. “There’s a big high pressure building in the Pacific. In the short term it’s about enduring this sea state. The waves are from two directions and the boat speed is not quite enough to get over them, so I’m being pushed around a lot. I need to do some cleaning because it is a pigsty out there. . . . but it’s all good on Medallia.”

Since the incident, Hare’s facebook page has been deluged with messages of support from around the world. That fan base encompasses experienced sailors, novices, those in between and a good percentage of well wishes who appear to have never set foot on a boat. Hare’s wide-ranging popularity stems not only from her sailing prowess, but also her open videos in which she talks frankly about the highs and lows of her race, including the minutiae of her daily struggles and successes.

Updates to follow.

Image courtesy of Pip Hare Ocean Racing, via Facebook.