Getting into a pre-start routine

With the Vendée Globe village officially opening its doors to the public last weekend and the 60-footer in the colours of Prysmian Group proudly dressed up to the nines in Port Olona alongside her 32 rivals, Giancarlo Pedote is getting his bearings on site. Indeed, there are now just 20 days to put the finishing touches to the project before he takes the plunge. So how is he organising his time? Which elements must he remain fully focused on? The Italian sailor gives us the low-down. “I get down to the boat at around 08:30 hours and have a debrief with the team. I’m remaining fully focused to ensure I don’t overlook any details. Right now, the victualling and clothing are being finalised and should be complete by the end of the week. Once that’s done, it’ll just be the fresh produce to manage prior to the start. At the same time as all that, I’m juggling various meetings with the press and devoting time to my partners and their guests”, says Giancarlo, who yesterday played host to around twenty of Prysmian Group’s suppliers, telling them how delighted he is to be at the start, the fact that it’s a dream come true and explaining his aims for the race. “Between now and the start, the pace of things will have to pick up and I’ll have to focus solely on the weather. I’m fortunate in that I have a very hard-working team around me who are constantly giving their all to this project. I can count on them, which means I can enjoy a good working atmosphere. It’s great”, concludes Giancarlo Pedote, whose next appointment, tomorrow, Wednesday, involves the compulsory safety checks.