Please select your home edition
Edition
RS Sailing 2021 - LEADERBOARD

An interview with JP Dick on the 2023 Bermuda Lorient Pure Ocean Challenge

by David Schmidt 2 May 2023 08:00 PDT May 7-June 4, 2023
Pure Ocean aims to raise environmental awareness and action by sponsoring events such as the Lorient-Bermuda Challege © Pure Ocean

A commute by any other name is just a commute, right? Not if you're considering transiting from the Caribbean back to Europe after a season of racing (or cruising) and are interested in linking up with the Bermuda Lorient Pure Ocean Challenge to help raise awareness about ocean-health issues. This year's challenge begins between May 7 and June 4 (participants agree on the starting date based on weather forecasts), and will take the fleet from Bermuda back to France.

Some backstory: Pure Ocean (www.pure-ocean.org) is based in Lorient and Marseille, France, and was founded by David Sussmann. The organization aims to raise public awareness about the ecological challenges that our planet is facing, and to create (and help fund) projects that help protect delicate marine ecosystems and biodiversity.

One of the ways that the organization, which is run by sailors, aims to raise awareness is through their annual transatlantic rally. Additionally, each participant is invited to make a minimum donation of 1,000 euros to Pure Ocean (see NOR for more information).

The event began small, but is now starting to attract the attention of yacht owners who are interested in a rally-style Atlantic crossing.

I checked in with legendary French offshore sailor and event ambassador JP Dick, via email, to learn more about the 2023 Bermuda Lorient Pure Ocean Challenge.

Can you please give me the latest updates on the Bermuda Lorient Pure Ocean Challenge since we corresponded last year?

We've had quite a bit of interest that has led to some new entries this year including a multihull, a TS42 with a crew of five, and a Volvo Open 70. The arrival of these new participants will intensify the competition and this is very exciting.

Pure Ocean's founder David Sussmann mentioned in an interview with me last year that one of the big goals is to attract more yachts that are returning to Europe after a season in the Caribbean. How's that going? Or, is the goal more about raising awareness than raising a fleet? The 4th edition of the Pure Ocean Challenge (and second edition of the Bermuda-Lorient route) is already a success with four sailboats departing Bermuda around May 7th.

The main goal is still of course to raise awareness about ocean health. We are thrilled that the Pure Ocean Challenge is attracting more boats as each team will provide content which Pure Ocean will be able to share with the media and on social media platforms.

Can you please tell us about any planned efforts to support ocean-facing scientific research?

As in 2022, my boat, The Kid- Notre Méditerranée -Ville de Nice, will participate in citizen science initiatives. With Nature Metrics, we will be sampling sea water, and we are in discussion with Oceano Vox to provide equipment to collect oceanographic data, which will be shared with research programs.

Each boat also contributes to raising vital funds via a crowdfunding platform. The funds are used to support innovative scientific research projects such as the Biossa project, which will be studying the impacts of sound pollution on cetaceans between Brazil and Chile.

Let's talk about raising the public's awareness about ocean-heath issues. Have you found that the challenge is a good vehicle for helping to increase awareness?

The Pure Ocean Challenge is a fantastic vehicle for raising awareness as it allows Pure Ocean to reach different audiences- in particular the sailing community. The challenge is competitive in the sense that there is a reference time to be beaten; however, it is not a race like any other and is really designed to promote ocean health issues.

During the crossing, Pure Ocean will share exclusive videos made by the participants. They will talk about the crossing and conditions but also transmit some key messages about climate change, biodiversity, plastic pollution and overfishing.

Let's talk about the route, from Bermuda to Lorient. What kinds of challenges do you expect to encounter?

It is a wonderful journey that allows us to observe incredible natural phenomena such as icebergs, the gulf stream currents, large ocean depressions and anticyclones. Moreover, the timing is perfect. We will enjoy the beautiful, long spring days.

On the other hand, the weather can hold surprises for us. The winds are still very strong with deep depressions moving eastwards. Last year we were surprised by very strong sea conditions.

I notice that there are no ice gates—how close to the ice are you guys willing to sail? Or, is going to the ice maybe part of the adventure?

The governments of the United States and Canada provide very specific information on this subject. We rely on the common sense of the seafarers and ask them to approach the crossing responsibly.

Can you tell us about any efforts that the challenge has made to try and lower its environmental wake? I realize that this is an offshore passage involving only a handful of yachts, but have you made any commitments to try and lower your carbon or overall environmental footprints?

Our goal is to use no fossil fuels. We installed solar panels on the Notre Méditerranée - Ville de Nice to be self-sufficient in electricity. Today the system works very well. The proof is that at Les Voiles de St Barth, we only use diesel for maneuvers in port that cannot be done under sail on such a large boat.

Is there anything else that you'd like to add about this year's challenge, for the record?

Pure Ocean founder David Sussmann and I are very proud to see that our initial initiative is paying off and that more boats are taking part. We look forward to welcoming new participants who share our values. It's going to be another great challenge.

Related Articles

(More than) A Day at the Races
The UK is the place to be right now if you're a sailor The UK is the place to be right now if you're a sailor, and I don't think I've ever known a time when so many great events are happening concurrently. Posted on 22 Jul
Were the Roos Robbed in Portsmouth?
We discuss the Race 6 Penalty with SailGP's Chief Umpire Craig Mitchell The high speed, short course action of SailGP is thrilling to watch, but inevitably causes tight situations and means the Umpires have to react quickly to decide who is right and who is wrong. Posted on 22 Jul
SailGP comes to Portsmouth!
We speak to the sailors ahead of the weekend The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth takes place this weekend, with the 12 teams competing in F50 catamarans close to the waterfront, where a massive grandstand has been built for the spectators. Posted on 18 Jul
A Q&A on the 2025 Corsair Nationals and the BBMHR
Peter Vakhutinsky and Andy Houlding discuss the 2025 Corsair Nationals and Buzzards Bay Multihull Re If you race, sail, or love multihulls and live in New England (or the Northeast), the Corsair Nationals and Buzzards Bay Multihull Regatta should be on your radar. Posted on 16 Jul
The Ocean Cleanup's 30 Cities Program
A look at The Ocean Cleanup and its the 30 Cities Program The cliche goes that one should avoid meeting one's heroes, as there's always a chance that the flesh-and-blood person might not live up to expectations. While I've never met Boyan Slat, I'd gladly take this risk. Posted on 15 Jul
Double Double
And the rest of the line is not toil and trouble, but quadruple, then another double… On the eve of the 100th Fastnet that has attracted some 464 entries, I heard of one entry in this record fleet that seemed so very apt. Not only because it includes the Commodore of the RORC, but because it combines two Brits and two Aussies. Posted on 13 Jul
Jazz Turner Video Interview
How she Faced Everything And Rose during Project FEAR I travelled to Brighton Marina to catch up with Jazz, talking about her own sailing, the challenges she faced during the circumnavigation, how the money raised will be used, and a glimpse of her future projects! Posted on 10 Jul
The Ocean Race Europe Video Preview
We speak to Phil Lawrence, Peter Rusch & Pip Hare to find out more The Ocean Race Europe will take place between 10 August & 21 September, following a debut event in the summer of 2021. The racing is in IMOCA yachts, the same as the Vendée Globe, but this time with 4 crew and an OBR who will document the action on board. Posted on 8 Jul
Foiling Frenzy at Fraglia Vela Malcesine
The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! Regardless of where sailors are in their careers, or the reputation they have, everyone wants to be there and have a tilt at the title. Posted on 7 Jul
The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?! Posted on 6 Jul
Lloyd Stevenson - AC Alinghi 1456x180px BOTTOMV-DRY-XZhik 2024 December