POOLE YACHTSMAN Pip Hare is now closer to space station than land as she navigates her way through the remotest stretch of Vendee Globe race.

On Monday January 4, Pip passed Point Nemo – a location in the Southern Ocean where the nearest inhabited landmass is over 1,670 miles away.

To put this in perspective, Pip’s closest fellow human, apart from other competitors, is on the International Space Station, which orbits the Earth at a maximum of 258 miles.

While Pip is celebrating passing this iconic milestone, the last few days have been challenging for her.

The instrument that provides accurate wind speed and direction information at the top of the mast failed completely on New Year’s Day, which was compounded by the failing of the backup at deck level.

The masthead instrument has now come back to life intermittently but still makes sailing fast and accurately more difficult.

Pip said: “At first, I was absolutely gutted about the problem – I’ve been proud of my performance so far.

“It might not sound like much, but not having accurate data means I have to sail more conservatively as I can’t risk pushing the boat too hard.

“And, while my first priority is safety – especially in such a remote area – I am a competitor and I want to be sailing to the best of my ability.”

The automatic pilot that drives the boat while Pip does other jobs, sleeps or eats, cannot respond to changes in wind direction, which in turn increases the risk of accidental gybes – and the damage they can cause.

Pip also relies on the data to assess conditions from the safety and warmth of her cabin and change sails accordingly.

She added: “It also means that I need to do some things manually – and this means more time spent sailing and therefore less sleep.

“Fatigue is part of this race, but it’s the thing that can cause the difference between a good and a bad decision which at best would slow me down but at worst could end my race.”

Pip has been working with her Technical Director, Joff Brown, to try to fix the problem.

Joff said: “Technical problems like this - and solving them - are a part of the challenge of this gruelling three-month race.

“While this will have an effect on how hard Pip can push the boat, Pip is using her enormous skill and experience to sail Medallia as quickly and safely as possible under the circumstances.

“Pip is a brilliant problem-solver and adept at technical repairs but in this instance our main problem is at the masthead and conditions mean Pip can’t climb the mast at least until she is back into the Atlantic.”

Despite these challenges, Pip has leapt up to 15th place and is still the leading British entry in the race.

Not only has Pip had to contend with technical problems, but she’s also dealing with worsening weather.

The seas are beginning to build as a series of storms catch up with Medallia and looks to dominate the weather until Pip rounds Cape Horn in about a week’s time.