Sailor in the Spotlight Interview - Jean-Pierre Dick

Currently at number three on the leaderboard, Jean-Pierre Dick is proving that his reputation is well earned in this edition of the Vendée Globe race.  A consummate racer who loves competition, JP is skippering Paprec-Virbac just as he was expected to - which is very well - and that comes as no surprise to those who are familiar with this sailor's stellar, if relatively brief, career.

 

Unlike many top racers, Dick hasn't been racing all that long.  Becoming a pro at the ripe old age of 36, Jean-Pierre has rather quickly been able to build a reputation as a top racer.  His tenacity and drive have brought him to the podium of world-class races more than once, and he seems to clearly enjoy a challenge.  The Vendée Globe is providing such a challenge, as JP is striving to add a single-handed podium spot to his growing collection, and this, as they say, is the "Big One."

 

Jean-Pierre Dick is now a Vet in both meanings of the word.  He has become a veteran racer, and he was previously a practicing Veterinarian - a surprising combination since most racers' backgrounds generally have something directly to do with boats.  For now, the only beast he has to tame is the sea:  Soft and fuzzy at the Equator, and soon to be all teeth and claws as he approaches the Southern Oceans.  YachtPals is "happy as a clam" to feature the formidable Jean-Pierre ("The Animal") Dick as our latest Sailor in the Spotlight.

 

 

YP:  I understand you were a veterinarian before becoming a professional sailor. So if you hit a whale, you are the only Vendée Globe skipper who could actually give it medical treatment?

JP:  [laughing] Yeah, that's true!  I hope I don't have to use it - it's a long time since I've been a practitioner.

 

YP:  Hitting whales and other marine animals seems to have become more common, as Vincent, Michel and Sam proved in the last Artemis Transat.  Why do you think that is?

JP:  Well, the boats are going faster and faster, so it's much more difficult to see what's coming close to the boat - easier to be surprised, you know?  Another reason being that the boats are a little more fragile.  Years ago, maybe the boats were a bit stronger, so they did not necessarily stop when they hit something, or it wasn't reported.

 

YP:  Do you think that helps explain why Sam was able to keep going on the older and tougher Roxy?

JP:  Yeah yeah, for sure.

 

YP:  So, aside from treating whales, what do you enjoy most about being an ocean racer?

JP:  What I like is two things:  I'm a competitor, so I like to compete in the competition! [laughing] And those boats are complicated, but they are amazing, and they're nice to sail too.  You have to understand a lot to be good,  so that makes it an interesting project.  The other thing is, as a Vet I like the nature, and I like to be in the wild.  I like to be in the South Atlantic, and all the places that we go...  As someone who likes nature, it's an amazing experience to be in the Vendée Globe.

 

 

YP:  You have a lot of firsts, including the 2003 and 2005 Transats [Jacques Vabre], What do you think is the secret to your success?

JP:  I don't know...  Well, I'm tenacious.  And the thing that excites me the most is to win a race.  Winning the Barcelona has been a great, great time for me.  I like the sensation, so I'm trying to retrieve these moments that are so fabulous.  It's true that maybe my sailing career hasn't been very long, and I've had some success, but I haven't had any single-handed success, so I'd like to have that.  I'm ready, and I really want to do better, and it's not going to be easy in this race, that's for sure.

 

YP:  Is there anything specifically you are working to improve about your own racing skills?

JP: Yes, I'm tenacious, but sometimes I'm a little too impassioned.  You know, sometimes passion is good because you can work hard when you need to, but sometimes you lose time and you're tiring yourself.

 

YP:  So, patience, self-sufficiency, sense of humor, masochism -- What do you think are the qualities of a good ocean sailor?

JP:  Seamanship - to know what is going to happen so you can do something before it breaks your boat.  That's the most important thing.  Thinking ahead what will happen in an hour, two hours - the strategy of that.

 

 

YP:  What are your personal goals for your racing career?

JP:  To know 'me' better.  To have a better understanding of my strengths and my weaknesses. It's a good experience to be a good sailor; it's something important in your general life.  The same things - being tenacious, and passionate - they're good things in business, and good things in life.

 

YP:  I hear you did some training with Loick Peyron recently in preparation for the Vendée Globe. Did you learn more or teach more?

JP:  I don't know, it's a difficult question! [laughing]  We'll see, we exchanged a few things... 

 

YP:  Loick described himself to us as a "bamboo sailor," always bending to the situation to ensure a race finish, as opposed to a "oak sailor," who will push the boat hard till it breaks, or they finish first.  How would you describe your style of ocean racing?

JP:  I like to push the boat, because it's the only way to win the race.  You need to keep up with your fears.  So to be fast is not always easy, because you live with that feeling for a long time, and that's stressful of course.

 

YP:  What do you see as your biggest advantage in the Vendée Globe? 

JP:  Maybe in the Southern Ocean I have some assets, we'll see.

 

YP:  So you think you might have an advantage in heavy weather?
JP:  I'm not going to say that [laughing].  We'll see!

 

YP:  I guess we will!  Finally, what advice would you give other people out there who are working at a veterinary practice, or a desk job, dreaming of adventure?

JP:  To work hard, and to be tenacious.  If you work hard all the time, then maybe you can have a little bit of luck.

 

- Kim Hampton exclusively for YachtPals.com

Read more Sailor in the Spotlight interviews from the Vendée Globe skippers:

• Vendee Globe Skipper in the Spotlight - Loick Peyron
• Loick Peyron - A Candid Chat with the Jedi Master
• Vendee Globe Skipper in the Spotlight Interview - Dee Caffari
  
• Vendee Globe Skipper in the Spotlight Interview - Steve White
• Vendee Globe Skipper in the Spotlight Interview - Sam Davies
• Vendée Globe Skipper in the Spotlight - Mike Golding
• Vendée Globe Skipper in the Spotlight - Brian Thompson
• Vendée Globe Skipper in the Spotlight - Michel Desjoyeaux
• Vendee Globe Skipper in the Spotlight - Derek Hatfield
• Sailor in the Spotlight - all Sailor in the Spotlight interviews including Robin Knox-Johnston, Ellen MacArthur, and other world famous sailors)

Don't forget to visit JP Dick's boat home page: Paprec Virbac 2 to learn more about JP and his yacht!

Sailing Video: JP Dick rockin' out as he crosses the equator in the Vendée Globe.

Submitted By YachtPals on 25 Nov

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