Racing one of the oldest boats in the race, Medallia, which started life as Bernard Stamm’s Superbigou, Hare delivered a commendable performance – even though she lost time when she had to replace a rudder blade in the depths of the Southern Ocean, finishing 19th in a time of 95 days. Almost immediately after finishing she and her sponsor Medallia upgraded to the powerful VPLP/Verdier foiling design which won the 2016-17 race in the hands of Armel Le Cléac’h – and still holds the 74 days race record – before becoming Louis Burton’s Bureau Vallée which finished third on the last Vendée Globe. She has achieved consistent results with the new boat, 12th in the Route du Rhum and again 12th in the Transat Jacques Vabre. The boat was substantially updated last winter with new bigger foils complementing the bow modifications made which have ensured Medallia is a better allround performer, as evidenced by Hare’s ninth in the New York Vendée Les Sables race this spring. An accomplished ultra distance runner – who notably said before her 2020-21 Vendée Globe ‘a marathon is never enough – the 51 year old Brit sailed tens of thousands of miles herself before doing the Mini Transat and moving into Class40. She has also coached extensively and writes regularly for Yachting World magazine.
Pip Hare: "I want to finish the race with no regrets and knowing I took every opportunity"
WHAT THE SKIPPERS SAID. 30/40 Even to many seasoned Vendée Globe fans Britain’s Pip Hare was a complete unknown before the start of the last race. But with her good humoured, smiling communication and effervescent joie de vie – her sheer tenacity and pleasure to be competing on the solo round the world – she proved enchanting and inspiring to race watchers all over the globe.
Vendée Globe :
What is your abiding emotion, being here ready to go on your second Vendée Globe?
Relief, I think, relief.
Vendée Globe :
So it has been harder to get here than last time?
Yes, it’s been tougher than last time. Because last time, it was a battle to get to the start, but I had little to no expectations. I had desires, I wanted it to be as good as it could be, but I didn't have a definition of what that was. And this time I've set such high definitions of what I want success to look like, even before the start line, and it's been a hard graft. And so I think there's a great relief that we've got there, there’s a relief that we have pretty much delivered against everything I aspired to. Not quite, but most of it, I think we've done a good job. But also, there's a relief on my part that I can just let go of the business side of things for a bit. Once I start, the only thing I have to worry about is the race, the rest of it will happen. And I'm looking forward to that.
Vendée Globe :
You struggled when a couple of sponsors stood down, you seemed to be worried you might not make it to the start line?
No, I was never worried that I wouldn't start it ever. We were always going to start the race, but it was the manner in which we started, the preparedness, the level of performance that I aspire to deliver on the race. And we just don't know. We don't know how it's going to unfold. We don't know how good we might or might not be, but I never believed I wouldn't start it. I just very much wanted to start it with I guess being in a certain shape.
Vendée Globe :
What is your goal?
I've thought really clearly, but one of the other things that I use, one of the tools that I use mentally is to make sure that I have multiple definitions of success. Because in a race like the Vendée Globe, if your only definition of success is a number in the classification, then you're really going to be in trouble.
You cannot control every eventuality that happens. You just don't know what's going to happen to you out there, so you have to have multiple definitions of success. One of them is just like my last one, to give everything I've got, to walk away from that race, knowing that I took every opportunity and I have no regrets.
Vendée Globe :
Initially after the last race you spoke about basing yourself in France but in the end being based in Poole and being the only British challenge is clearly important to you?
Yes, yes it is. I very much want our identity to be a British based team. And we are the only foreign based team, we're the only one. All the other foreign teams are based in France. I think that is, it's important and it's something that I'm proud of. I just want us to really demonstrate what we what we've achieved in three and a half years.I really want us to have a future as well. As a team. I just I feel like we've really moved mountains to create what we have and it would be a shame if it all just stopped. I think it would be it would be a shame for British sailing and it would be a shame for everything that we've done.
Vendée Globe :
And you are the only overseas team to have stayed the full three weeks in Les Sables d’Olonne pre-start.
I did want to enjoy it, but I also want my team to enjoy it. And I want them to feel what they've achieved in that context. But also from a practical element, we just can’t go home, it just doesn’t work and I wouldn't find it relaxing. I did think about whether I should go home but all I would do is just come back here and pace around my house wishing I was over there! And we have a nice house it's my best opportunity, probably, of relaxing. Because all the time that I am at home, this is my life. I'm surrounded by that kind of work ethic, that idea that I should be working all the time. And instead it's almost like I'm giving myself a holiday by going out to the race village and staying there.
Vendée Globe :
You love your boat!
Oh, yes, I mean there is still nowhere else on the whole planet, I would rather be. Every time I take that boat out, I just pinch myself at how incredible it is, and how lucky I feel to have got myself into a position where I'm competing in a boat like that. My own personality is always driving to push forwards, to understand what I could be capable of, to do better. It's feeding everything that I've ever wanted, in an environment I absolutely love, in a boat that is unbelievably awesome to sail. I couldn't want more, I could not want more, it’s perfect.
Vendée Globe :
In a lot of ways you overdelivered ahead of your expectations last time…
Well, I did last time, and I know it's not going to be the same, I know that. The one thing I need to manage is my own expectations. If I'm not performing as well as I hoped, I don't want to be overwhelmed by this feeling that I'm letting myself down and letting everyone else down and for that to take away the enjoyment. But, the only answer to that is just to keep trying, keep trying and keep trying. So long as I'm trying, then I think I can hold that feeling at bay and still enjoy my sport.
Vendée Globe :
What bit worries you most and how will you approach the race?
I guess the bit I'm most worried about is the start, I would say. Because historically, I'm just not very good. I don't warm up for a couple of days. And, I recognise that in this fleet you can't behave like that anymore. So I think the start is a major milestone for me to get over. And then it is kind of just chunked up by the weather, isn't it? Your really classic exit from the Biscay, where are you going to cross the doldrums? How you get down to your Southern Ocean approach, the Southern Ocean is a big unknown, massive unknown. And that's the ‘big scary monster under the bed’! But my biggest learning, I think, from the last race was that I massively underestimated the last four weeks. And so, one thing I'm definitely going to do differently is, is just make sure I'm in much, much better shape when I leave the South. Then there is still a long way to go and many, many cards to play. There's still so much of the race left, which is a window of opportunity, it’s a time to really make the most of what you've got.
Vendée Globe :
And you have changed your strength and conditioning programme a bit?
Yes, I think I've had my issues in the last year, because I tore my ACL (knee ligament) just before the Route De Rhum, which wasn't helpful. And I’ve had some months where I've not been in great shape, but actually I’ve been working with a new physio and strength and conditioning coach in the last six months and really turned a corner and I actually think I am in good shape. I've been working a lot more on kind of plyometrics and explosive stuff, and agility. My balance has never been great, but, after I told my ACL, and I’ve always had a weakness on my right side from where I had a pelvic fracture, I kind of just got a bit wobbly. So I've been working really hard on that, my balance and my ability to have strength when I'm in awkward situations or off balance, I’ve been working on those rts of exercises, very distracted stuff. Not heavy weights, but a more functional type of training, doing loads of jumping and skipping. Before I'd been very much working on bulking up really, I'd had trainers who were just obsessed with me putting muscle mass on and now I think it's much more intuitive and much more what I need. I'm still doing weight training, but it's, it's just to keep a base level and the rest of it is very much around jumping, skipping and standing on one leg and just much more in tune with what I'm actually asking my body to do. Which, surprise, surprise, has made a big difference I’ve really noticed it actually I've got a lot more confidence too.
