Virbac-Paprec 3 wins the Barcelona World Race with Southern Spars

by Southern Spars Media on 5 Apr 2011
Southern Spars would like to acknowledge the outstanding performance of skippers Jean-Pierre Dick and Loick Peyron, as Virbac-Paprec 3 crosses the finish line for the team’s second back-to-back win in the double-handed Barcelona World Race.

Southern Spars supplied the mast and EC6 Continuous rigging for Virbac-Paprec 3 with a design brief to keep weight to an absolute minimum while providing maximum performance. The result was a classic 29m mast with two sets of spreaders and utilising one backstay cable rather than three as in the past. This innovation was as a result of the desire to save weight and expose a smaller surface to the wind.

The VP3 team comments, 'This has been our third build with Southern Spars who once again stood out as our preferred mast and rigging supplier. A lot of development has gone into our new rig; made possible by the expert design, project management and build skills that Southern has on hand.

Needless to say, our team is thrilled with the final result, which has exceeded our initial expectations, and we look forward to a continued partnership with Southern Spars.'

The race has not been without incident for Dick and Peyron who have been closely duelling with rivals throughout the 25,000 mile race. The pair were forced to make two pit stops along the way costing them the lead for a brief period. During the course of the race, they also set a new world speed record for 60 footers covering 516 miles in 24 hours.

Mark Hauser from Southern Spars comments, 'We’re delighted for the Virbac-Paprec 3 team and what they have achieved. It’s also great to see a Southern Spars mast and EC6 rigging package once again be part of the winning formula, racing 25,000 miles and performing in every condition possible.'

For more information on the race: www.barcelonaworldrace.org

For more info on Southern Spars: www.southernspars.com

Contact Mark Hauser: mark.hauser@southernspars.com