As big supporters of Pip Hare, we were happy to lend a helping hand to get her 60ft IMOCA class boat back in the water following an extensive 6-month winter refit.

Getting Pip’s boat in and out of the water is no mean feat! But the newly christened Medallia, renamed after her recently secured title partner, is now safely back in the water at Poole Quay Boat Haven.

Our Marina Manager, Kerrie Gray, said “There are very few marinas on the South Coast that could accommodate a Vendee Globe yacht, so it’s a great honour to be able to provide Pip with a home in the lead-up to the race. It’s great to see Medallia back in the marina, welcome home Pip!”

We at Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC) are incredibly proud to be supporting Pip Hare as she competes in the Vendee Globe in November 2020. The marine journalist and sailor, who hails from Poole, will be competing against thirty international skippers to race her 60ft boat around the world without stopping, single-handedly.

The course includes passages around the three great capes, those being the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn. Pip will be chasing the women’s record of completing the course in 94 days, which was set in 2001 by Dame Ellen MacArthur.

Pip too has shown her enthusiasm for partnering with us at PHC, exclaiming that we were one of the few ports in the UK with the ability to cater to her needs. A Poole local, Pip has remarked that our harbour has everything a sailor could possibly need thanks to the diverse marina facilities, sheltered area and beautiful surroundings. We know that the local businesses will be of great help to Pip and her team as they can provide everything she needs to prepare for the race.

If you would like to find out more about Pip’s racing career, visit her website www.piphareoceanracing.com