For this fourth participation, the skipper from Nice (now Brittany), who had a sixth place (2004-2005), one withdrawal (2008) and a fourth place (2012-2013) skippered a latest-generation IMOCA equipped with foils. Hoping to improve his performance on this 8 e edition, he began a fine start phase, rewarded by a second position not far from the leader Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss), but a poor tactical choice under the island of Madeira demoted Jean-Pierre Dick to twelfth place.
The leading group then escaped and avoided the Doldrums, whilst Jean-Pierre Dick could only come to pick up Jean Le Cam, then in ninth place. These two skippers became inseparable, to the point that the inarguable Jean, christened the scenario "duel of King John and the Black Knight". Jean-Pierre Dick was obviously disappointed: "my little comrades are 1,000 miles ahead now... we must be zen!"
In the Indian Ocean, the skipper is making his foil talk, surfing in 35 knots of wind along the Antarctic Exclusion Zone (AEZ) and clawing back miles on Yann Élies. Alas for Jean-Pierre, inattention made him cross the red line in this zone forbidden by the Sailing Instructions, and he had to turn back to repair his mistake, which cost him hard-won miles. However, it was an original and unprecedented move in the Vendée Globe, which enabled the skipper from Nice to regain his place among the infernal trio. To avoid a virulent depression before entering the Pacific, StMichel-Virbac is taking the Bass Strait between Australia and Tasmania, a nice stretch of road, which is also equipped with dangerous sandbanks! The security operation proves to be tactically profitable and in the end brings the "Black Knight" back in contact with his two best "enemies", victims of a stop in the huge southern storm.
In the harsh conditions of the climb back up the Atlantic, the three sailors are swapping 4th, 5th and 6th places in turn. "I have to apply myself, as I'm battling against the best Figaro racers on the circuit, six times winners of La Solitaire du Figaro between them! They excel in contact racing!" delivers Darrin during a radio session. Indeed, the three skippers, who are standing in a pocket handkerchief, aren't getting much sleep, are fine-tuning and are keeping an eye on the otherwise busy stretch of water.
Despite a chin injury on the home stretch, he managed to land three staples and continued his fight to keep his 4 e place. "I have to get the strategy right for what's next. It is certainly that of patience! It's going to be very frustrating, as Yann and Jean have more wind behind them, so they're going to be coming back at me very quickly. If I finish ten miles behind my rivals at the finish line, that will be a great success" drops Jean-Pierre Dick on the eve of the finish.
When the blue and orange IMOCA crossed the line at the famous Nouch Sud buoy, Yann Éliès' bow was still twelve miles from Les Sables-d'Olonne and King Jean's bow was around thirty miles away.
