Vendée Globe

It was in a light New Zealand breeze that Jean-Pierre Dick took the helm of Paprec-Virbac, his brand new 60-foot monohull, for her first sailing trip. It was a highly charged emotional moment that the skipper from Nice shared with his whole team, and which brought Paprec-Virbac to life. Jean-Pierre appreciates the power of his new machine and is pleased with her first few miles. The first pages of a new chapter are being written…

- How do you feel after this first sailing trip?

- Jean-Pierre Dick : "I’ve been working on this project for two years and the dream is now coming true. Hoisting the sails and taking the helm of Paprec-Virbac for the first time and feeling her advance was fantastic and very exciting. I felt so at ease on board that in the evening, it was difficult to leave the harbour. It’s all the result of some great work carried out by my team, the designers and the Farr architects, as we had really thought it over a lot and discussed everything to get this boat just right. I was also very moved to see all the boat builders lined up on the quayside waiting to have their photo taken on board the boat. The Paprec-Virbac team shared this happy moment and we had a celebration last night!"



- What are your first impressions?

- JP Dick : "We’re just getting to know her and it’s very interesting. The marine spirit of the boat has been respected. She lives up to our expectations. For this first sailing trip in very light winds, Paprec-Virbac showed us how powerful she was. She takes off quickly and shows a lot of potential. She is also very safe and extremely well decorated. I can feel the boat was very well built. The final touches are just perfect. The mast has a really beautiful profile and appears to be very sturdy. We’re proud to have built such a fine craft and to have fitted these innovations: the trim tabs and the sliding roof. A new story is beginning and we can’t wait for the first races!"

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