By crossing the line at 9:15 (French time - UT+1) this Friday November 18th after 15 days 18 hours 15 minutes and 54 seconds* of racing, Jean-Pierre Dick and Jeremy Beyou win the Transat Jacques Vabre on board Virbac-Paprec 3, after leading the fleet for eleven consecutive days.

2011 is a decidedly good year for the duo. A Solitaire du Figaro and a first Transat Jacques Vabre for Jérémie Beyou. A triple win** in this event and a second Barcelona World Race for Jean-Pierre Dick. Virbac-Paprec 3 beats the official race record held by Safran in 2009 and improves on the crossing time by 1 hour and 07 minutes. The skipper from the Riviera wins his fifth major event*** on the IMOCA circuit in 10 years.

"The start was a high point with all the skippers and organizers considering the difficult weather conditions forecast. The postponement of the start was psychologically significant. It played on everyone's mental capacities and the decisions taken on board. We sailed in a strong gale in the early days. Many Imoca skippers then took a less windy southern route. "

The choice of the northern route
Jérémie: "Off the coast of Ireland, we lacked clear-sightedness and we tacked too late. We regained control and debriefed. This was a lesson for the future. After the Azores, we agreed on our strategy and the effort required. We were not reluctant to sail in heavy conditions, it was a good decision."
JP: "We deliberately chose a northern route from the beginning, because it seemed faster. We met with some very rough conditions. Passing through this ridge of high pressure off the Azores was a turning point in the race. The southerners were stuck for a day or so, while we maintained a speed of 10 knots."

A determined, decided and persistent duo
JP: "Jérémie has something in common with all of my victorious co-skippers (Nicolas Abiven, Damian Foxall and Loick Peyron): they are top-rate, well-behaved, and polite people. He is an exceptional, tenacious and first class racer; in this respect we are very similar. His ability to make headway with the boat all the time amazes me, as does his incredible motivation. I did everything to ensure that Jérémie felt a part of the project and was able to say what he liked. We work really well as a team. He gives the best of himself, and handles the boat 100%. He is a nice, pleasant person and it was a real pleasure to spend these sixteen days with him."
Jérémie: "It was a real pleasure to sail with JP. He is really pleasant, engaging, and a great friend. I found that he was very tough, determined and unrelenting. He never lets go. It is better to have Jean-Pierre with you than against you!"

11 days of domination
JP: "We struggled to find our feet on the first three days, and then three quarters of the way through the race, we showed that we were the boss, since we stuck to our strategy and took our decisions and fate in hand. We have done a good job, and went flat out and it paid off!"
Jérémie: "It is always enjoyable to lead a race, take the right strategic decisions and manage to widen the gap between you and your followers. We did things simply, just as we hoped, with common sense. The duo worked well on board Virbac-Paprec 3 and the boat sailed fast. This gives you an extra thrill!"

Victory!
JP: "It's fantastic. There was a top-class line-up in the Imoca class. With Jeremy it was a beautiful moment of sailing. I find it hard to realize that I have won my third Transat Jacques Vabre. There are few people who have done this. This is wonderful. I do not know how to explain this triple win. I have a feeling, some kind of chemistry with this race. This fires you up again, it's a boost and of great benefit to everyone."
Jérémie: "The two Jacques Vabres that I raced in resulted in two fourth places. To finally win a big transatlantic race, and double-handed at that, which is not my favourite, gives me great pride. Especially since the pressure was on me, because normally if you take part in a double-handed race with Jean-Pierre you win. I was tense from the start. The test was a success! It was a success because JP knows how to provide his partner with the keys and share information, he is the ideal mate!

* Their race time was 15d 18hr 15min 54 sec. Their average course speed was 12.51 knots. They sailed 5,167 miles on the water at an average speed of 13.66 knots. Reminder: the race's theoretical distance was 4,730 miles.
** Jean-Pierre Dick won the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2003 with Nicolas Abiven, Virbac-Paprec Sailing Team's current Technical Manager, and with Loïck Peyron in 2005.
*** Three wins in the Transat Jacques Vabre, two victories in the Barcelona World Race 2008 and 2011