Barcelona World Race 2010

French sailor Jean-Pierre Dick, winner of the inaugural around-the-world Barcelona World Race, has confirmed his participation in the second edition. Jean-Pierre Dick is among the elite of skippers with wins in several of the world’s great oceanic races. The start of the next Barcelona World Race will be on 31 December, 2010.

Jean-Pierre Dick will be at the helm of the next Paprec-Virbac, which is presently under construction in New Zealand. It was aboard Paprec Virbac 2 that he secured his sensational victory at Barcelona, establishing the record the skippers will be aiming to beat in eighteen months time: 92 days, 8 hours, 49 minutes and 49 seconds.

Last winter Jean-Pierre Dick took part in the Vendée Globe, once again sailing aboard Paprec Virbac 2. On this occasion he was forced to retire from the race after hitting an unidentified floating object in the Southern Ocean, at which time he was leading the fleet.

Since registration for entries opened on 18th June last, the Barcelona World Race organizers have been working closely with those skippers who have expressed an interest in racing in the next edition. Nine boats took part in the first race, and it is expected that there will be between 10 and 12 on the start line on the last day of 2010, of which at least three should be Spanish entries.

Barcelona World Race prizegiving

At 19:00 Saturday, 8th March, the 18 skippers of the first edition of the Barcelona World Race will gather in Barcelona once again for the official prizegiving ceremony. The gala event will be hosted by Catalan TV3 presenter Tomàs Molina in the presence of the Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu, and other city officials at the Auditorium of the Barcelona Forum. 2,500 guests are expected to attend and enjoy a unique show put together by Cuqui Pons. A giant 28-metre wide and 9-metre high video screen placed on stage will be a key element of the evening which will focus on two principal visual symbols - an image of the Colombus monument which, at the bottom of the famous Ramblas, emphasises Barcelona's maritime history, and the constant references to the notion of 'duo' throughout the show, that will pay tribute to the nine teams of two who entered the first edition of the double-handed Barcelona World Race. Music, acrobatics and other surprises will be enjoyed by the audience, who will also see the duos receive their prizes secured during the race.

Paprec-Virbac Wins Barcelona World Race

At 20h 49.49 GMT Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall steered Paprec-Virbac 2 across the finishing line to win the Barcelona World Race. Their 25 000 mile journey, non-stop around the planet, has taken exactly three months, and been an impressive display of speed and seamanship.

"This was our whole life, and all our energy and we are obviously very emotional," said skipper Jean-Pierre Dick, leaning over the lifelines and addressing the media as his boat pu! lled up to the pontoon in Barcelona.

The victory has been hard earned and impressive. The dynamic French-Irish duo has held the lead for the majority of the race, fending off early challenges from PRB and Veolia Environnement to grab the lead for good on December 7th. More recently, it's been Hugo Boss clipping at the heels of Jean-Pierre and Damian as they made their way back up the Atlantic Ocean.

Real obstacles came in the form of icebergs and equipment breakage. Deep in the southern latitudes,! Paprec-Virbac 2 played 'Russian Roulette' with icebergs on several oc casions, escaping unscathed, except for the toll the added stress and fatigue had taken on the two skippers.

Shortly after passing through Cook Strait, they hit an object in the water, seriously damaging their rudder system. But the were able to fix this without stopping. Then, after rounding Cape Horn, their forestay broke, and dismasting was a likely outcome. But again, quick thinking and on-board acumen allowed them to fashion a repair that would hold to the finish.

Finally, the ascent up the Atlantic turned into a marathon. First, lighter than normal headwinds s! lowed their progress. Then, fierce headwinds and terrifying seas made their passage through the Strait of Gibraltar terrifying. Now on the home stretch in the Mediterranean Sea, their food supplies started to run thin, making for a pair of hungry and happy sailors as they crossed the finish line tonight for victory.

"I have done this for years, but today I have done it all. I'm still in shock so I'm not sure what my baby must be feeling," said an emotional Damian Foxall, moments after being handed his seven-month old son. "If I were to stop sailing now, and I'm not saying I will, I have done everything! We lost the forestay in the Atlantic and there were times when we didn't think we would make it but here we are! This is incredible!"

Jean-Pierre and Damian were to be welcomed at the pontoon in Barcelona by family and friends along with their entire team. The Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu, was on hand to offer his congratulations. And offshore sailing legend! Dame Ellen MacArthur, whose OC Events is a co-organiser of the event, paid tribute as well:

"Racing together on a boat for three months, non-stop, under extreme pressure is an amazing test of any partnership. There are very few circumstances in sport like it and it is obvious that Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall on Paprec-Virbac 2 have formed an incredibly strong team and have been able to fight hard right to the end of this long race. Every boat competing in the Barcelona World Race has experienced difficult conditions - icebergs, the torture of no wind to storm-force ! conditions. Paprec-Virbac 2 has held the lead since South Africa and fully deserves to take the finish line in first place. It's a credit to the shore team who have prepared the boat so well and the skippers who then dealt with any breakages on board themselves - including a inner forestay failure off the Brazilian coast a few weeks ago that could have ended their race."

Second placed Hugo Boss crossed into the Mediterranean last night and is due to finish on Wednesday.

Paprec-Virbac 2 Closing

Paprec-Virbac 2 is counting down the miles as they close in on the finishing line and an historic victory in the first edition of the Barcelona World Race. The final hours aren't without tension - in a mechanical sport, a win can't be assured until the finishing line is crossed. But at this point, it would take a terrible calamity to deny skippers Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall the glory they have earned. The Paprec-Virbac 2 team is one of just two to reach the final stages of the race without having stopped, adding another layer of achievement to their success. Jean-Pierre and Damian have had to work incredibly hard to manage their equipment through 25 000 hard miles of offshore ocean sailing. This morning, Hugo Boss joined the race leader in the Mediterranean Sea after a horrible night in the Strait of Gibraltar. Storm force winds, a frightful sea state, broken gear and plenty of commercial shipping traffic made the passage a nightmare. In the battle for third place, Mutua Madrileña has elected to gamble on an Easterly routing, in hope of closing up the gap with Temenos II. At the tail end of the fleet, Educ ación sin Fronteras is out of the doldrums and making 10 knots, while heading North. The finish is 2800 miles away.

Barcelona World Race

After an already epic journey in some of the world's harshest waters Barcelona World Race leaders Paprec Virbac 2 are finally back into the Mediterranean and their last 400 miles to Barcelona. Yet by no means is the battle over for Jean Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall, who passed Scoring Gate 8 in the Strait of Gibraltar at 18.39 GMT last night (with elapsed time of 14 Days 22Hours and 14 seconds from Fernando de Noronha.) The Franco-Irish tandem is currently sailing in the Alboran Sea, close to Malaga, with easterly winds still gusting at 35 knots.

Too Many Tacks

The situation is getting more difficult now for the race leading crew on board Paprec-Virbac 2 as weather conditions have forced them further and further north of Gibraltar. Skippers Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall are waiting for the wind to shift to allow them to tack towards the gate to the Mediterranean.

But the forecast shows they'll have upwind conditions the rest of the way, meaning the next few days will see them tacking up the coast, each tack requiring up to half an hour of hard manual labour as they shift the contents of the boat (sails, water ballast, navigation station) from side to side in an effort to balance the boat and keep it flat and fast.

And they'll have to do it on reduced rations as their food supplies become more and more meagre by the day.

Barcelona World Race

The race leader Paprec-Virbac 2 is being forced to take the long road home, with a large high pressure system blocking the direct route to Gibraltar. As a result, the Franco-Irish pairing is sailing more miles to the north, in an effort to sail clear of the system. This could provide an opportunity for Hugo Boss to cut inside and gain some miles before reaching the Mediterranean.

Paprec-Virbac 2 is heading towards Gibraltar

After tacking overnight, the leader of the Barcelona World Race, Paprec-Virbac 2, is now heading towards Gibraltar, the penultimate scoring gate of the race, and the doorway to the Mediterranean Sea. Entering the Med and finishing off the race can't come soon enough for the race leaders. Sunday marks 85 days at sea and with just over a week left, body and mind, not to mention boat, are getting tired.

Barcelona World Race

The leading boat in the Barcelona World Race, Paprec-Virbac 2 is now less than 2 000 miles from the finishing line, which translates to about 10 more days of racing. With a 462 mile lead on Hugo Boss, the situation is comfortable for the race leader, but by no means assured as Damian Foxall explained today as stronger winds - up to 30 knots! - have seen their boat speed rise, as well as their stress level.

Barcelona World Race

While aboard Hugo Boss Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape are psychologically ready to struggle against light conditions until Gibraltar, things started to move a bit more swiftly this afternoon for race leader Paprec-Virbac 2. Which certainly doesn't mean the situation is clear for Dick and Foxall, who will have to play hide and seek with a high pressure system whose movements are less than predictable.

Barcelona World Race

The fight to get on the podium in Barcelona is intensifying as Mutua Madrileña has taken more miles out of Temenos II over the past 24 hours. At one stage overnight, the delta was down to just 20 miles, before Temenos II stretched away again.

This afternoon, just 44 miles separate the two boats after 79 days of racing. That's close enough that just one small mistake in the variable South Atlantic weather could be the difference maker. Although they've left the Southern Ocean, the pressure hasn't eased at all for these two competitors.

"We haven't been able to relax at all," said Michèle Paret this afternoon. "It's been very stormy weather, very difficult for the past 24 hours. We're manoeuvring all the time and really getting quite tired of this pace. I can't wait to get out of here."

Barcelona World Race

Paprec-Virbac 2, the leader of the Barcelona World Race has crossed back into the Northern hemisphere and today managed to escaped the clutch of a stubborn doldrums. Skippers Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall are now on the home stretch, with just a little more than 10 percent of the race distance, 2838 miles left until the finishing line off Barcelona.

Barcelona World Race

Paprec-Virbac 2's great "Trade Winds escape" continues, and the Franco-Irish duet has gained a whopping 169 miles over the past 24 hours. The situation is still tactically uncomplicated for Hugo Boss, but despite the "lovely conditions", things could be a bit better as speeds stay in the lower range, while things remain unsettling on the rudder front. During the night, Temenos II made a move to the west and has reduced the lateral gap with Mutua Madrileña, but as predicted Dominique and Michèle dramatically slowed down toda! y. The two boats fighting for third place now have to face a very unclear weather situation.

Barcelona World Race

Conditions are getting better on the comfort front for the majority of the fleet, yet from a strategic perspective more difficulties lie ahead. It seems today that only race leader Paprec-Virbac 2 can actually look forward to tomorrow: having picked up some steady wind, Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall are leaving Hugo Boss behind, the Anglo-Australian duet fighting upwind in light airs. Further back, Temenos II and Mutua Madrileña are still neck and neck, coping with decreasing winds and having to work their way around the high ! pressure system on their path...

Barcelona World Race

Educación sin Fronteras is the last boat in the Barcelona World Race fleet remaining in the Southern Ocean, but not for long, as they close in quickly on Cape Horn. Skippers Albert Bargués and Servane Escoffier have been sailing very fast towards the Cape and should pass the famed landmark in about 24 hours.

Barcelona World Race

After seeing its lead nearly cut in half over the past 10 days or so, Paprec-Virbac 2 has been sailing faster than its opposite number, Hugo Boss, for much of the day. And for the first time in days, the forecast finally appears to be favouring the race leader. For both boats in the South Atlantic, the situation remains complicated with small low pressure systems bubbling off the South American coast. The resulting winds are variable in speed and direction and in the centre of these mini systems are minefields of calm winds. That's the situation that Hugo Boss faces today and likely well into th! e weekend as well.

Roaring in towards Cape Horn are Temenos II and Mutua Madrileña as they battle for third position in the Barcelona World Race. The Spanish pair on Mutua Madrileña has been closing fast over the past couple of days, working the gap down to less than 150 miles - about 10 or 12 hours at the pace at which the two are sailing. Temenos II should be first at the Horn, overnight tonight, with chasing Spanish due to arrive near noon (GMT) on Saturday.

Barcelona World Race

The South Atlantic isn't giving anything away to the two boats leading the Barcelona World Race fleet as they race towards the finishing line off Barcelona. Overnight, race leading Paprec-Virbac 2 nearly held its own and then this morning, it was able to grab back some miles from the chasing boat, Hugo Boss. But the tide has turned again and this afternoon Hugo Boss was the faster boat in pursuit. The overall effect of this has been something close to a stalemate, with Hugo Boss able to grab just 13 miles over the last 24 hours. Unfortunately for the guys on Hugo Boss, at this stage of the journey around the world, they need to grab bigger chunks if they hope to overtake Paprec-Virbac 2 before the finishing line. The contest behind is also getting closer as Mutua Madrileña has pulled within 200 miles of Temenos II, with both boats streaking towards Cape Horn in great sailing conditions. The pair are making good about 300 miles per day, with Temenos II expected to pass Cape Horn, now 436 miles away, overnight on Friday night / Saturday morning. There is a bit further to go for Educación sin Fronteras who are still some 1600 miles from the famed Cape. But Servane Escoffier and Albert Bargués have had a good day, making nearly 300 miles in the past 24 hours. Albert is projecting they will be at Cape Horn within a week. Although it is very difficult to project a finish date this far in advance, it appears as if the leading boat will be pulling in to Barcelona around the 8th of February, plus or minus a couple of days.

Barcelona World Race

Hugo Boss has put on a remarkable performance over the last 24 hours, taking advantage of difficult conditions that are slowing the race leader Paprec-Virbac 2. Over the past day, second-place Hugo Boss has taken a full 179 miles out of the 800 mile lead Paprec-Virbac had painstakingly built over the first two months of the race.

There doesn't appear to be anything Paprec_Virbac 2 skipper Jean-Pierre Dick can do about the situation as the enormous Saint Helena high pressure system is much further west than one would normally expect and it is acting like a roadblock in front of the race leader. While they've made a remarkable gain over the past 36 hours or so, it won't be entirely smooth sailing for the chasing Hugo Boss in the coming days, as Andrew Cape says the forecast is for a deep low pressure to engulf them over the next day or so, which could bring winds as high as 50 knots.

Barcelona World Race

The fastest boat in the Barcelona World Race over the last 24 hours has been Temenos II, who have taken advantage of stronger conditions to add to their narrow lead over Mutua Madrileña. Temenos II has made good 358 miles over the last 24 hours, 87 more than the Spanish boat chasing them.

Barcelona World Race

The two leading boats in the Barcelona World Race are back in the Atlantic Ocean after rounding the famed Cape Horn this week. Both are now in the final quarter of this marathon race around the world, although with over 6000 miles left to run, the race is far from being over. And for those still in the Southern Ocean, gale force conditions mean the week is ending with very difficult conditions in the Furious Fifties.