“I didn’t like having to justify my
existence. But it’s a challenge that
has made me into the person I am”
ome kids imagined themselves
as astronauts or ballerinas. I
imagined myself as a solo ocean
sailor.” With that, Pip Hare rushes
off to take a phone call. She is
in Le Havre ahead of a big race
but needs a French sailing licence to compete and hopes
this is the confirmation that she finally has it. This
two-person cross-Atlantic race is particularly important.
Completing it – which Pip went on to do in 18 days- qualifies her for November’s Vendée Globe, a single-
handed, round-the-world, 24, 000-mile race, known
as the ‘Everest of the seas’ for the sheer scale of the
challenge. It’s the kind of event where just reaching
the start line is a major milestone. For Pip, it’s
the culmination of a life spent on the water.
A CHILDHOOD DREAM
Perhaps unsurprisingly, her childhood was “real
Swallows and Amazons stuff,” from sailing Suffolk’s River
Deben in a small dinghy, to family holidays to France and
Holland in her parents’ small yacht. “We would moor up,
run ashore and be wild,” she recalls. Pip was 16 when she
decided to commit fully to sailing and quickly realised
some of the obstacles that came with being a female
sailor – she was one of only three working on the Solent
when she qualified at 19. “It was difficult at the time,
because there were a lot of people surprised to see me
as a skipper. There was a lot of sexism around,” she
says. “For a long time, I was angry that I had to justifyAbout to embark on her biggest challenge yet, trans-ocean sailor Pip Hare tells
James Ayles that finding her own direction has been all about finding her confidencemy existence. But it’s a challenge that has massively
made me into the person that I am.”
Unfortunately, she says, the problem persists: “It is
frustrating: at grassroots level, there are so many women
who just don’t enjoy going on a boat and don’t get the
pleasure out of it that I do. How do we change that?” She
mentions the Magenta Project, a collective committed
to creating equal access and opportunities for women
in sailing, but says there’s scope to do more: “We need
to create new opportunities for people to see sailing
differently.” Pip’s own view is that sailing can offer
something for everyone. “It’s about the independence –
you can go where you want. There is also a huge amount
of responsibility; you can take charge, or you
can sit back and let someone else take over. It’s about
finding what you love and doing that thing.”FINDING DIRECTION
Completing this autumn’s Vendée Globe has never
been a done deal for Pip. In her mid-20s, she fell into
a rut, unsure of what exactly she wanted to do. “There
was a lot of frustration,” she explains. “I felt that I was
at a dead end. I didn’t want to end up being a sailing
instructor for the rest of my life.” In the end, she decided
to take matters into her own hands and, aged 29,
departed on a round-the-world trip. “I just decided
to buy a boat and go sailing and that was it.”
While solo racing remained a burning ambition, for a
long time, Pip felt that she simply lacked the knowledge
and confidence to even know where to begin. Her firstS
WISDOM“I didn’t like having to justify my
existence. But it’s a challenge that
has made me into the person I am”
omekidsimaginedthemselves
asastronautsorballerinas.I
imaginedmyselfasa soloocean
sailor.”Withthat,PipHarerushes
offtotakea phonecall.Sheis
inLeHavreaheadofa bigrace
sailinglicencetocompeteandhopes
thisis theconfirmationthatshefinallyhasit.This
two-personcross-Atlanticraceis particularlyimportant.
Completingit – whichPipwentontodoin 18 days- qualifiesherforNovember’sVendéeGlobe,a single-
handed,round-the-world,24,000-milerace,known
asthe‘Everestoftheseas’forthesheerscaleofthe
challenge.It’sthekindofeventwherejustreaching
thestartlineis a majormilestone.ForPip,it’s
theculminationofa lifespentonthewater.
ACHILDHOODDREAM
Perhapsunsurprisingly,herchildhoodwas“real
SwallowsandAmazonsstuff,”fromsailingSuffolk’sRiver
Debenina smalldinghy,tofamilyholidaystoFranceand
Hollandinherparents’smallyacht.“Wewouldmoorup,
runashoreandbewild,”sherecalls.Pipwas 16 whenshe
decidedtocommitfullytosailingandquicklyrealised
someoftheobstaclesthatcamewithbeinga female
sailor– shewasoneofonlythreeworkingontheSolent
whenshequalifiedat19.“Itwasdifficultatthetime,
becausetherewerea lotofpeoplesurprisedtoseeme
asa skipper.Therewasa lotofsexismaround,”she
says.“Fora longtime,I wasangrythatI hadtojustifyAbouttoembark on her biggest challenge yet, trans-ocean sailor Pip Hare tells
JamesAyles that finding her own direction has been all about finding her confidence
myexistence.Butit’sa challengethathasmassively
mademeintothepersonthatI am.”
Unfortunately,shesays,theproblempersists:“Itis
frustrating:atgrassrootslevel,therearesomanywomen
whojustdon’tenjoygoingona boatanddon’tgetthe
pleasureoutofit thatI do.Howdowechangethat?”She
mentionstheMagentaProject,a collectivecommitted
tocreatingequalaccessandopportunitiesforwomen
insailing,butsaysthere’sscopetodomore:“Weneed
tocreatenewopportunitiesforpeopletoseesailing
differently.”Pip’sownviewis thatsailingcanoffer
somethingforeveryone.“It’sabouttheindependence–
youcangowhereyouwant.Thereis alsoa hugeamount
ofresponsibility;youcantakecharge,oryou
cansitbackandletsomeoneelsetakeover.It’sabout
findingwhatyouloveanddoingthatthing.”FINDING DIRECTION
Completing this autumn’s Vendée Globe has never
been a done deal for Pip. In her mid-20s, she fell into
a rut, unsure of what exactly she wanted to do. “There
was a lot of frustration,” she explains. “I felt that I was
at a dead end. I didn’t want to end up being a sailing
instructor for the rest of my life.” In the end, she decided
to take matters into her own hands and, aged 29,
departed on a round-the-world trip. “I just decided
to buy a boat and go sailing and that was it.”
While solo racing remained a burning ambition, for a
long time, Pip felt that she simply lacked the knowledge
and confidence to even know where to begin. Her firstWISDOM