# A Catastrophic Mast Collapse, 800 Miles from Land & All Alone | Pip Hare | TEDxDurham

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbo0WBi11C8
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/Kbo0WBi11C8
Generated: 2025-12-16T17:07:56.252+00:00

---
## Quick Overview

Pip Hare successfully completed the Vendée Globe race despite catastrophic equipment failure, specifically the mast breaking 800 miles from land, relying on self-sufficiency, resilience, and a strong support network to repair the boat and finish.

**Key Points:**
- Pip Hare is the CEO of Pip Hare Ocean Racing and the only British professional ocean racing team as of the talk.
- Her IMOCA 60ft (18m) boat, designed to 'fly' above the water using foils, can reach speeds exceeding 75 km/h (40 knots).
- During the Vendée Globe race, she experienced a catastrophic mast collapse 800 miles from land in the middle of the ocean.
- The hull thickness of the boat was only 5mm, emphasizing the high-tech, yet fragile, nature of the racing vessel.
- She finished the 2020 Vendée Globe race on December 15th, 2020, finishing 19th, and was the 8th woman to complete the race twice.
- Her preparation involved immense personal investment, including taking out a £25,000 bank loan and borrowing money on credit cards to fund the campaign.
- The core takeaway is that resilience is more important than budget or having the newest equipment, focusing on who you want to be rather than what you want to do.

![Screenshot at 00:27: The Medallia racing yacht is shown flying above the water on its foils in rough seas, illustrating the extreme performance capabilities of the IMOCA 60 class boat that Pip Hare races.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Kbo0WBi11C8/00-00-27.png)

**Context:** Pip Hare is a professional offshore yacht racer who discusses her experience competing in the Vendée Globe, an extremely challenging solo, non-stop, unassisted round-the-world yacht race starting and finishing in Les Sables d'Olonne, France. She details the extreme engineering of her IMOCA 60 class boat, which utilizes hydrofoils to achieve high speeds, and the immense personal and financial sacrifices required to compete in such a demanding event.

## Detailed Analysis

Pip Hare discusses her journey competing in the Vendée Globe, highlighting the extreme nature of the race and the boat technology involved. She mentions her boat is a 60-foot foiling IMOCA capable of speeds over 40 knots, with a hull only 5mm thick, emphasizing the high-risk, high-reward design. A major incident during her 2020 race involved the mast collapsing 800 miles from land in the Southern Ocean; she managed to fix the boat herself with tools on board, even replacing the rudder while sailing at 30 knots in the dark. The immense pressure and lack of sleep (only 30 minutes at a time) required intense focus. She financed her campaign largely through personal loans and credit cards, as she started as an underdog without major sponsorship until later. She completed the race, finishing 19th and becoming the 8th woman to finish the race twice, demonstrating that resilience—who you want to be—is more critical than what you want to do or your budget. The overall message is about overcoming catastrophic failure through self-reliance and mental fortitude.

### The Boat and Race

- The boat is a 60-foot foiling IMOCA capable of speeds over 75 km/h
- The hull is only 5mm thick
- The race route involves navigating the Azores High and the St. Helena Anticyclone, with an exclusion zone near Antarctica.

### The Catastrophe

- The mast collapsed 800 miles from land in the Southern Ocean
- She fixed the rudder while sailing at 30 knots in the dark
- The noise of the waves hitting the thin hull was amplified, creating intense sensory input.

### The Preparation & Mindset

- She financed the campaign with a £25,000 bank loan and credit card debt
- She was an underdog ranked outside the top 30
- She focused on being the resourceful person capable of self-rescue rather than just achieving a specific result.

### The Outcome

- She finished the 2020 Vendée Globe in 19th place, the 8th woman to complete the race twice
- Her sponsors were thrilled with her resilience and performance story.

![Screenshot at 00:06: Pip Hare on stage at TEDxDurham, introducing the concept of the extreme ocean racing she undertakes.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Kbo0WBi11C8/00-00-06.png)
![Screenshot at 00:27: The Medallia racing yacht is shown flying above the water on its foils in rough seas, illustrating the extreme performance capabilities of the IMOCA 60 class boat that Pip Hare races.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Kbo0WBi11C8/00-00-27.png)
![Screenshot at 05:14: A map graphic showing the Vendée Globe race route, starting from Les Sables d'Olonne, navigating past the Azores High, around the Southern Ocean exclusion zone, and past Cape Horn.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Kbo0WBi11C8/00-05-14.png)
![Screenshot at 07:48: A split image showing the boat being lifted by a crane \(left\) and a close-up of a wrench used for emergency repair on the hull \(right\), representing the required maintenance and self-sufficiency.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Kbo0WBi11C8/00-07-48.png)
![Screenshot at 10:40: A photo of Pip Hare on deck, celebrating upon finishing the race, holding flares aloft in the dark.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Kbo0WBi11C8/00-10-40.png)