Giancarlo Pedote: ‘Staying humble and focused’

In the vast turmoil of the Indian Ocean, every day is a bitter battle against the elements. Tired but resolute, Giancarlo Pedote is determinedly making headway towards Cape Leeuwin, the second of the three major capes in his circumnavigation of the globe, which he plans to tick off over the course of tomorrow. Though this symbolic passage is bound to be a key stage in his journey both mentally and geographically, the skipper of Prysmian is continuing to remain focused. And for good reason because, further east, the Pacific is also shaping up to be mysterious and unpredictable with its own share of new challenges and opportunities.

“I’m doing well but I’m a little tired as we haven’t really had a moment’s respite in this Indian Ocean,” commented Giancarlo Pedote, whilst in contact with his team this Monday. Indeed, like his fellow competitors in this Vendée Globe, since passing Cape Agulhas, that marks the gateway into this ocean once known as the Eastern Ocean or the Sea of India, the sailor has had to negotiate a series of particularly violent depressions. “In essence it’s the sea state, which is making life aboard very difficult. The slightest movement around the boat is rendered extremely complicated.” Despite all this, the Italian is managing to preserve his gear by negotiating these trying conditions with care. “The good news is that the boat is holding up pretty well. The sea state has recently improved but we’re sailing along the leading edge of a sizeable weather system so it’s important to try to keep pace with it. The wind is very shifty at times so you have to be able to adapt. On occasion we bury into the waves a bit so you have to try to find the right trim,” explained the Florentine, who is endeavouring to make as much headway to the east as possible. 

Avoiding losing momentum
In his bid for the optimal trajectory to the south of New Zealand, Giancarlo Pedote is erring on the side of caution. “Staying a little further to the north is a gamble based on trying to preserve gear and enjoy more manageable conditions. We’ll see if it pays off,” added Giancarlo, who is still slugging it out with Jean Le Cam, Isabelle Joschke and Alan Roura, as he prepares to cross the longitude of Cape Leeuwin some time tomorrow. “It’s going to be a key stage, especially mentally,” admitted the skipper of Prysmian, who is thrilled to be leaving astern the second major milestone of this round the world race, following on from the Cape of Good Hope just over ten days ago. “It feels good to be ticking this off but there’s still a long way to go. There may be plenty of surprises in store and the damage that Pip Hare suffered last night is a timely reminder of that,” explained the Italian, who has clearly been rocked by the dismasting of his British rival. “I’m very disappointed for her because she’d sailed a fantastic race up to this point. It’s a real ordeal both for her and her team. This is a mechanical sport and there are times when it’s incredibly thankless. Fortunately, she’s close to Australia. If this incident had occurred at Point Nemo, it would have been a much more complicated situation to deal with,” said Giancarlo, all too aware that the Pacific Ocean is sure to have its share of challenges for him too. “We’re hoping to enjoy a smoother passage than we have here as the Indian Ocean has really given us a rough ride,” concluded the skipper, who is planning to stick to his motto: humility and concentration.