Barcelona World Race - Finals week with title holder Jean Pierre Dick

by Barcelona World Race on 16 Dec 2010 Barcelona World Race - The champion is back in town as of today.Jean Pierre Dick winner of the first Barcelona World Race with Damian Foxall, returns today (Wednesday) ready to go sailing on Virbac-Paprec 3 for the first time since he finished a slightly problematic and frustrating Route du Rhum last month in a creditable fourth place.

Since he launched the new VPLP/Verdier design Virbac-Paprec 3 in New Zealand on 18 May, Dick has scarcely stopped moving, working up the boat across the Southern Ocean and training as a duo up the Atlantic from Panama to Newport with his race partner Loïck Peyron, and solo training pre Route du Rhum out of his base in Brittany.
Dick who came to extreme short handed and solo racing later in life, at 36, after a career as a vet and company director, has a measured, scientific approach which should be complemented by Peyron’s lifetime racing all different types of boats.

At the present time, Dick explains, he is trying to rest and recuperate to store energy for the huge undertaking ahead of him. In the midst of final preparations he will return to his native city of Nice to have his first Christmas with his new baby and his family:

'We will sail on Thursday and try some new sails, and I will be in Barcelona until the 22nd and then going back to Nice where my family, my mother, sister and my wife and baby will be for Christmas, and then I am coming back on the 27th, then being ready to start on the 31st.'

Coming hard on the heels of the Route du Rhum, how do you feel now and how are you dealing with the stress and limited time between the races?

'It is a challenge, between the Route du Rhum and the Barcelona World Race, it is a challenge because obviously I was tired when I came back from Guadeloupe. But then I would say that I have had the same kind of challenge between the last Barcelona World Race and the Vendée Globe, to be ready, rested and competitive again. I am still in the middle of the exercise, not completely rested, but I am trying to rest as much as I can, making a Spanish siesta, and making some sport, trying to do some weather analysis, trying to relax and not do too much work in a day. Last week was difficult with the Paris Boat Show and we had some sponsor meetings. But now this week I have been more in my home, and then I need to settle in Barcelona then it will be easier.'

And though the Route du Rhum did not go as well as you might have hoped, was it still a valuable, worthwhile exercise?

'I needed to have some competition, because without it it was a long time that I did not compete for. Before I built this boat, the last competition was the Tour of Europe (the Istanbul Europa Race). It was a crewed race which is not exactly the same. Even if on the Route du Rhum I was alone, and it was a bit stressful because I had some technical issues, I think it is a good exercise because I have had some competition and have been able to see the difference of speeds with other boats and I am ready to fight I would say.'

What did you feel you learned about your boat specifically in terms of competition against the fleet?

'I think there is no big difference for sure because all the boats are very similar in speed now. Now all the boats have a limited height of mast now, so in very light winds that is not an advantage clearly. But I do think the boats are important but the men on board are more important. I think experience will be the key part. I think the only boat which will be different from all the others will be Hugo Boss, which is completely another type of boat, bigger, heavier and more powerful. That will be interesting.'

Who do you rank as your main rivals?

'The main rivals are definitely Michel Desjoyeaux and Gabart, two very good Spanish teams – Estrella Damm which I know well for sure, with my former boat and Iker and Xabi which on paper are very strong. Kito de Pavant is very strong French team, and there might be more like Ryan Breymaier and Boris Hermann, and of course Monsieur Jean Le Cam is a good sailor but perhaps he does not know the boat so well, but I think we are a very close boat with Michel.'

And is there anything that you have now seen on Michel’s boat which you would have liked?

'No. I think I have a good boat. We will see how it goes. It is always greener in the other field.'

What are the main differences between Damian and Loïck as sailors and who will how you work together compare with last time?

'Last time Damian was more looking after the boat, if there were things to repair he was the man and maybe more at the front of the boat, I was more into picking the weather. Now with Loïck it will be more equivalent, I will be more equal on the repairs this time which is good for my training for the Vendée Globe. And for sure Loïck is very knowledgeable on his weather analysis, so we will work together. If there is a security decision I am the skipper and the owner of the boat, and the project, and they are my sponsors, so that becomes my task, but I want Loïck to be involved in the strategy and the thinking in this race. In this race what makes you successful is the interaction between the two skippers. It is important that we know work well together, we have done some training together and we have done some weather analysis together, so there will be the same level of information.'

Of course you have sailed with Loïck before, winning the TJV, so do you still have conversations about how you will work together, planning a strategy and is there still anything to be discussed in this regard?

'We will have some more discussion before the start, some formalities if you like but we know already how we are going to be organised because we already did it this summer, we did the training together, so for sure we will have some discussion, but sailing wise it is going to be more of the same.'

What are the main differences between the two?

'Loïck has such huge experience, Damian also has huge experience but it is coming more from the Volvo also, Loïck’s (experience) is more….well, everything sailing! So I would say the main difference is Damian is a very physical guy, very strong. Loïck is more using his brain to sail smart, to make less effort. So that is how I see things, but there is a change for sure but I will learn more about both experiences as we go. Loïck has more experience with single and double handed races, maybe I would say more experience over his while life. Damian has been more on more physical races like the Volvo. Both are very able to repair the boat, to sail the boat on their own, they would have been able single handed even though Damian did not do more, he would be very talented to do so.'

Do you consider this race will be tougher and closer than the last Barcelona World Race?

'It is going to be tougher. On the last race we had a high attrition rate. Many competitors disappeared at the top of the fleet. When we reached New Zealand there was Hugo Boss and then they stopped in New Zealand and so it will certainly be more intense fight at least three quarters of the way, and I hope we have a strong fight all the way. We saw on the Vendée Globe that at the end there was only one fighter. Last Barcelona Race I had a good lead. In these races you have to deal with the material. I hope it will be a battle to the end. You would hope to finish with a lead, in advance, because there is less stress to.'

And what will be the essential attributes be to win?

'This is the crew which will be right into the heat, which has prepared very well, which will win, that is the same as usual. Unless you have a lot of bad luck. That can happen, bu that is the way races are won. I think the Barcelona World Race has taken another stage forward with the media coverage, we saw at the Paris Boat Show there was a lot of French media. Internationally it was strong before and this time it will be stronger. The Spanish teams are much better than last time, last time there were only two good boats this time there are seven of which four are good. It is huge difference from last time and with the best French, Loïck, Michel, it is going to be a strong race even with the British, who are not so numerous, but they have a good boat with Hugo Boss. Dee is more experienced now.'

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