After 6500 nautical miles (12,038 km) sailed between Auckland and the entrance to the Straits of Panama, Jean-Pierre Dick and his crew reached land a few days ago by arriving at the entrance to the Panama Canal. This ocean crossing meant he was able to discover the new Virbac-Paprec (3) and test the reliability of this lightweight monohull in real conditions. Virbac-Paprec 3 is now going to pass through the isthmus to get to the other side of the continent. Jean-Pierre and Loïck Peyron will be carrying out their qualifier for the next Barcelona World race by sailing up to Halifax (Canada), while continuing to work on the performance of the monohull flying the colours of Virbac and Paprec. Jean-Pierre Dick was pleased with his new boat, in spite of a crossing that was not exactly as quiet as the name of the Pacific would lead us to believe.
Jean-Pierre Dick: “To be honest, the delivery trip was pretty hard going in the rough seas in the Southern Ocean with its heavy swell and cross seas. Going through the Southern Pacific in their winter is far from being a simple matter. The boat gets pushed around all over the place, particularly as she is so light. There was a lot of slamming but we didn’t find any hint of any damage to the structure. That is important, as that means that even in tricky conditions and in spite of being so light, the boat can withstand all that, which is reassuring for the races that lie ahead. We were in fact able to see how efficient the bubble structure protecting the helm is. It is a real asset in controlling the boat as we are able to see out of the sides and remain well protected in these seas. The steering system was also a source of satisfaction for us. It certainly suffered a lot as we were tossed around, but kicked up well. So there are no major problems, but a host of little points to look at, which will enable us to improve the boat, make her more reliable and even better."
