D-3

The 60-foot IMOCA in the colours of Prysmian Group and skipper Giancarlo Pedote are currently biding their time in Port Olona. Aboard the boat, just about all the jobs have been ticked off the list, though the team’s boat captain Rémi Fermin is keen to point out that “we can only really say that everything’s complete once the boat has set sail. In the meantime, it’s all about fine-tuning the final details”. The next stages? “Removing the mainsail cover, attaching the sheets and giving the deck a final rinse”, explains the technician, who has been working alongside the Italian sailor since his Mini 6.50 years, so he is very attuned to his expectations, as are the three other members of the shore team. “We’re taking a massive amount of precautions during this ongoing health crisis. Tomorrow, we will undergo the PCR test imposed by the organisation, which will be a decisive factor. We’re being very careful as we are well aware of how massive the stakes are for Giancarlo if someone in our team tests positive. We’ve been taking it in turns to work on the boat over recent days, with a morning team and an evening team to limit the contact as much as possible”, explains Rémi, who will be the last person to leave the skipper’s side on Sunday. “Conditions are set to be pretty light so I’ll be able to disembark without it being too lively (he’ll jump off the boat into the water in the final minutes before the starting gun, editor’s note). That means it will be less stressful all round, starting with Giancarlo.”