Vendée Globe

The tall fair-haired guy shows determination

With a very unusual background… while remaining one of the most experienced sailors in the race, he is there to win. It was a long time ago that the former vet and company boss was seen merely as a round the buoys sailor or coastal racer. In his first Vendée Globe, Jean-Pierre suffered one problem after another, mostly down to bad luck, but also due to a lack of experience of single-handed ocean racing. However, he won the admiration of everyone by showing dogged determination, in spite of being so unlucky, and finished up in sixth place.
Since then, Jean-Pierre has sailed for miles and miles and has been working very hard. Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2003 and 2005, he has continued to progress, even daring to try his hand on boats, which on paper did not appear to suit him, such as in the Figaro single-handed event: always with the aim of learning. His victory in the Barcelona World Race is a good sign that he has turned the pages. Jean-Pierre has become one of the men to beat.

Press Contact :
Laurent SIMON / +33 (0)6 80 87 91 34 / ls@windward.fr
Aline BOURGEOIS / +33 (0)6 86 44 27 46 / ab@windward.fr

www.jpdick.com

• 3rd in the 2006 Route du Rhum
• Winner of the 2005 Transat Jacques Vabre (with Loïck Peyron)
• 6th in the 2004-2005 Vendée Globe
• Winner of the 2003 Transat Jacques Vabre (with Nicolas Abiven)
• Winner of the 2001 Tour de France sailing Race

On the 60’ « Paprec-Virbac 2 »
• Winner of the 2007-2008 Barcelona World Race (with Damian Foxall)

Like some of the other favourites, Jean-Pierre will be sailing a brand new Farr design in this race. The sistership to Gitana Eighty, his boat benefits from having clocked up the miles jointly with Loïck Peyron and from an exchange of information between the two yachtsmen.

Boat - Designer: Bruce Farr Yacht Design - Boatyard : Southern Ocean Marine (New Zealand) - Launch date: February 2007 - Length : 18.28 m (60’) - Beam : 5.80 m (19’) - Draught: 4.50 m (14’9’’) - Displacement (weight): +/- 9000 Kg - Number of daggerboards: 2 - Mast height: 28.50 m (93’6’’) - Keel blade : steel - Upwind sail surface: 270 m2 - Downwind sail surface : 560m2

© François Chevalier

• 21/03/09 : Paprec-Virbac 2 in the operating theatre
• 27/01/09 : Jean-Pierre goes sailing again
• 13/01/09 : Jean-Pierre Dick in Auckland
• 10/01/09 : A scare for Jean-Pierre
• 26/12/08 : Forgetting to zip up