After an authentic exploit around the world, Jean-Pierre Dick returns to his home port this Saturday, February 9, 2013, starting at 9:30 a.m., at Entrecasteaux quay in Nice. Come and welcome this great Nice champion and meet him after his fantastic adventure.
Despite the fatigue, he wishes to share a rich moment of emotion with the Azuréens, who have followed his race with fervor and pride. You too, come and meet this ambassador of our department on the seas of the globe and share a great moment of emotions.
By completing his solo round-the-world trip in fourth place despite losing his keel, the skipper of Virbac-Paprec 3 achieved an authentic exploit. He crossed the finish line on Monday, February 4 at 4:05 p.m. after 86 days, 3 hours, and 3 minutes 40 seconds of racing, writing a beautiful page in the history of the Vendée Globe.
Many spectators came to cheer Jean-Pierre Dick along the canal of Les Sables d’Olonne. An emotional arrival that salutes the tenacity of the Nice skipper.
The testimony of Jean-Pierre Dick
Arriving safely:
“I feel proud to have brought my boat safely to port. The race took a different turn for me when I broke my forestay, then lost my keel. It wasn’t easy to stay in contact with the leading group, they were fast. I reconciled myself to my third place, then there was this twist of fate. After that, I refocused on arriving. It was a great intellectual exercise. It was a tough choice, but today we can say I made the right decision.”
My greatest fear: losing my keel
“The scariest moment was when I lost my keel because the boat really heeled over. I was lucky to be next to the mainsail sheet and I was able to react quickly. I filled my leeward ballast tanks. In my misfortune, I was fortunate to right my boat.”
Confidence and self-knowledge:
“The greatest lesson I take from this race is that when faced with problems, even if you don’t have self-confidence to solve them, if you tackle them one by one, like a surgeon, you can manage to solve them. I’m not a natural handyman, but I manage to achieve potentially incredible things by building a plan of action step by step.
You feel strengthened, you gain self-confidence during an adventure like this. You have to give it your all, and succeeding in overcoming challenges one by one boosts self-confidence. Today I am a better sailor, but I also have an increased knowledge of myself.”
From race to adventure:
“We are competitors at heart. I set off trying to win this race, but I ended up in an adventure. Sportingly, the goal is not achieved, but on a human level, it’s far beyond what I hoped for. I think I will find it easier to come to terms with my loss of third place because there is this glorifying aspect of the race’s end. I am proud to have brought my Virbac-Paprec 3 back to Les Sables d’Olonne.”
An intense race, without half-measures:
“You must have an incredible desire, you have to fight. With the new generation that has arrived, you must be extremely physically involved, eager to go, there is no half-measure.”
