that people will go to for advice or support. This year,
that has changed.”
One man, recently retired, made contact with her
by email. Two weeks later he was in Le Havre helping
her prepare for her latest qualification race. Another
boy, 14, earned £20 from bell ringing at a wedding and
donated it all to Pip. “It’s incredible,” she says. “It really
staggers me that so many people have such confidence
in me and they don’t even know me. I know I have
many f laws and I am not always doing things right.”
That, perhaps, is the key. Pip admits she changes
as a person when steps aboard her boat, a 60ft IMOCA
racing yacht called Superbigou. “On here, I am not
accountable to anybody except myself. I am allowed
to be me, it is so simple.”
We turn back to that moment, ten years ago, on the
deck of her yacht, staring at the mast. What if she hadn’t
climbed it? “It could have gone either way,” she concedes.
But then the gaze toughens. “Actually, it couldn’t. It
would never have gone the other way.”CAPTAIN’S ORDER
The Pip Hare CV
1974 Born in London
1993 Completes her Yachtmaster,
qualifying her to work as
a professional skipper.
1996 Sails the Caribbean, then
moves to New Zealand.
2001 Buys her first boat ahead
of a round-the-world trip.
2008 Returns to the UK.
2009 Completes her first solo
transatlantic crossing
from Uruguay to the UK,
as well as her first solo race.
2017 Part of the first two-person
team to complete the Three
Peaks Yacht Race.
2019 By finishing the Transat
Jacques Vabre, qualifies
for this November’s
2020 Vendée Globe.Above: No mountain
high enough – with
Charles Hill, finishing
the Three Peaks Yacht
Race. Below: Pip on
home ground in PoolePHOTOGRAPHY: HELLY HANSEN / OCEAN IMAGES; RICHARD LANGDON / OCEAN IMAGES; JEAN-MARIE LIOT / ALEAWISDOMthat people will go to for advice or support. This year,
that has changed.”
One man, recently retired, made contact with her
by email. Two weeks later he was in Le Havre helping
her prepare for her latest qualification race. Another
boy, 14, earned £20 from bell ringing at a wedding and
donated it all to Pip. “It’s incredible,” she says. “It really
staggers me that so many people have such confidence
in me and they don’t even know me. I know I have
many f laws and I am not always doing things right.”
That, perhaps, is the key. Pip admits she changes
as a person when steps aboard her boat, a 60ft IMOCA
racing yacht called Superbigou. “On here, I am not
accountable to anybody except myself. I am allowed
to be me, it is so simple.”
We turn back to that moment, ten years ago, on the
deck of her yacht, staring at the mast. What if she hadn’t
climbed it? “It could have gone either way,” she concedes.
But then the gaze toughens. “Actually, it couldn’t. It
would never have gone the other way.”CAPTAIN’S ORDER
ThePipHareCV
1974 Bornin London
1993 CompletesherYachtmaster,
qualifyinghertoworkas
a professionalskipper.
1996 SailstheCaribbean,then
movestoNewZealand.
2001 Buysherfirstboatahead
of a round-the-worldtrip.
2008 ReturnstotheUK.
2009 Completesherfirstsolo
transatlanticcrossing
fromUruguaytotheUK,
aswellasherfirstsolorace.
2017 Partof thefirsttwo-person
teamtocompletetheThree
PeaksYachtRace.
2019 ByfinishingtheTransat
JacquesVabre,qualifies
forthisNovember’s
2020 Vendée Globe.Above: No mountain
high enough – with
Charles Hill, finishing
the Three Peaks Yacht
Race. Below: Pip on
home ground in PoolePHOTOGRAPHY: HELLY HANSEN / OCEAN IMAGES; RICHARD LANGDON / OCEAN IMAGES; JEAN-MARIE LIOT / ALEA
WISDOM