A YACHTSWOMAN from Poole is today making the final checks before her 2,400-mile, unaided voyage around the world.

The Vendee Globe – said to be the toughest yacht race in the world – begins in Les Sables d’Olonne on the west coast of France, on Sunday, November 8.

Pip Hare, 46, has spent many months preparing for the race at Poole Yacht Marina.

She faces three months at sea aboard Medallia, previously called Superbigou, snatching only 10-20 minutes of sleep at a time.

Fewer than 100 people have completed the Vendee Globe in its 31-year history – and only seven of those have been women.

Bournemouth Echo:

Pip said: “It’s been a long road to get to the start of this iconic race.

“The organisers have done an amazing job of keeping the skippers, teams and public safe while putting on a brilliant show, so it’s sad that the race village is now closed to comply with France’s coronavirus lockdown but it’s so important that we put everyone’s health first.

“It also means the race will start as planned. And I’m grateful that I will be part of the line-up on board Medallia – it’s been my dream since I was 16 and I would be gutted if, after all the hard work by so many people, we couldn’t cross that line on Sunday.

“Of course I will miss my family, friends and supporters who can’t make it out to the start to see me off,” she added.

“But now, more than ever before, I have the technology on board to really bring those supporters with me every step of the way.”

Poole sailor will face waves bigger than houses in single-handed round-the-world yacht race

Speaking to the Daily Echo last year, Pip Hare said of the event: “At some point in the Southern Ocean, you are closer to a person on the International Space Station then on a continental land mass.”

The former RNLI worker has spent two years preparing for the event, putting together a syndicate of business sponsors who could contribute as little as £5,000, rather than finding an £800,000 title sponsor.

She'll spend three months in a tiny cabin – but yachtswoman Pip Hare finds the lockdown tough

“It was a brilliant idea for me to come and base myself in Poole because I’m one of the only two British people in the campaign. The other is in Gopsort. Everybody else is based in France,” she said.

Bournemouth Echo:

“In France, there’s a lot more knowledge about it but I really strongly feel as a British campaign we should be really proud. Only 87 people in the world have ever finished this race.

“To be added to the 10 British people finish the race is a big thing for me and I want people to be proud of this.”