Pip Hare, 16th in the Vendée Globe, was the victim of a dismasting during the night from Sunday to Monday December 16 in the south of Australia, but the 50-year-old Briton is safe and sound, announced the race management.
The sailor managed to assemble a makeshift rig on her boat Medalliato reach Australia, approximately 800 nautical miles (nearly 1,500 km) from its position on Monday and where it is expected within a week.
“Pip Hare is not injured, and her team is working closely with race management to secure the boat”added the race management in a press release.
The dismasting took place at 10:45 p.m. French time on Sunday. The causes of this major damage, the first dismasting of the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe, are not yet known.
Third exclusion from the race of this edition
The sailor was in 15th position in the race at the time of the damage, around a hundred miles from her competitor Romain Attanasio (Fortinet – Best Western), who was not asked by the race management to lend him a hand.
“Her hull is not damaged and she is not injured”explained Romain Attanasio. “I communicated with her by message and told her that I was sad for her, it was great to sail with her”he added.
The two sailors have been sailing for 24 hours in a low pressure area where “there is super unstable wind, around 30 knots (55 km/h), the sea is disgusting and a lot of squalls”detailed the 47-year-old sailor.
Pip Hare had finished the race in 19th place in 2021, sailing for 95 days, 11 hours, 37 minutes and 30 seconds. This is the 3rd withdrawal from this 10th edition after Maxime Sorel (V and B – Monbana – Mayenne) and Louis Burton (Valley Office).
Swiss
