At 15 hours 51 minutes and 38 seconds GMT yesterday Jean Pierre Dick crossed the Vendee Globe finish line at Les Sables d’Olonne to take sixth place overall. Sailing his Open 60 Virbac-Paprec, Dick completed the 23,680 mile course in 98 days, 03 hours, 49 minutes and 38 seconds at an average theoretical speed across the course of 10.05 knots.

Chatting last night he said: “Being here today has been my objective since October 2001 when I saw Mich Desj take victory. Given all the problems I’ve suffered I suppose I could put a lot down to my lack of experience in ocean racing.

“It was a really difficult start and I just forgot all the basics about getting into a race and managing your sleep and so on. My shore crew really had to sort me out with all that and get me into the match again.

“My goal was always to reach the end of this race, I didn’t set myself any other targets other than to arrive here with a smile. It was hard to digest the fact that I wasn’t up with the leaders and it really took some getting used to accept the idea that I’d lost contact with Dominique and Sébastien as I had my heart set on fourth.

“The regatta instinct is a hard one to lose but I am proud of myself that I managed to hold off the attack from my pursuers despite my numerous problems.

“Having broken my generator in the first week and then my engine at the start of the Southern Ocean it was really pleasant without the noise of it for two and a half months in fact. I think with that and the effectiveness of the solar panels there is really something interesting to be discussed on an environmental level with all that.

“My high points during the race were the Southern Atlantic and the Tropics. The Horn was really a childhood dream come true. I physically had to see it and the way the sun lit up certain parts of it were just spectacular. The most important thing is to appreciate all that and then come back and be able to share it with all the people close to you.”

Positions to date

1st Vincent Riou (PRB) finished on Wednesday 2 February 2005 at 22hr 49mn 55sec

2nd Jean Le Cam (Bonduelle) finished on Thursday 3 February 2005 at 05hr 22mn 08sec

3rd Mike Golding finished on Friday 4 February 2005 at 03 hr 17 minutes 13 sec

4th Dominique Wavre finished on Tuesday 8 February at 05 hr 15 minutes 20 sec

5th Sébastien Josse finished on Tuesday 8 February at 12 hr 04 minutes 10 sec

6th Jean Pierre Dick finished on Sunday 13 February at 15 hours 51 minutes and 38 sec (time behind the winner: 10 days 17 hours and 01 minutes)

7 Arcelor Dunkerque Joé Seeten 43 53.08′ N 25 35.40′ W 1014.7 miles to finish,

8 Hellomoto Conrad Humphreys 40 08.16′ N 24 17.16′ W 1048.9 miles to finish, 34.1 miles from leader

9 Ocean Planet Bruce Schwab 25 56.80′ N 27 21.76′ W 1737.0 miles to finish, 722.3 miles from leader

10 Max Havelaar / Best Western Benoît Parnaudeau 3 24.32′ N 31 54.52′ W 3050.1 miles to finish, 2035.3 miles from leader

11 ROXY Anne Liardet 2 17.52′ S 31 47.60′ W 3367.4 miles to finish, 2352.6 miles from leader

12 AKENA Vérandas Raphaël Dinelli 15 02.92′ S 32 53.88′ W 4109.2 miles to finish, 3094.5 miles from leader

13 Benefic Karen Leibovici 18 46.40′ S 34 09.28′ W 4344.0 miles to finish, 3329.3 miles from leader