Giancarlo is not displeased to be back in the Atlantic Ocean, quite the contrary

Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian Group) is not displeased to be back in the Atlantic Ocean, quite the contrary. He spoke to us at the satellite link-up at 09:00 hours this morning. 

"It’s crazy how much the temperature has soared since Cape Horn. Initially, it rose very gently on the way up to the Falklands, then we had three days at 18°C, and one night I couldn’t sleep due to the heat. Yesterday it was 36°C onboard. You have to strip off the layers! I’ve always found the heat hard to bear, but after all the time spent in the South, I’m not going to complain anymore.

I was very careful with the boat in the South. I was always drying out the areas of moisture inside the boat. Right now though, conditions are such that you can properly dry out and ventilate the boat. That’s good for us sailors too. We can remove our winter boots and hats and though we’ve gone from one extreme to the next, it’s pleasant.

I’m going to give it my all up to the Canaries. I’m expecting the wind to clock round a little and then I’ll be able to show what my boat’s made of. I think I sailed wisely in the Deep South, as I really wanted to give myself the opportunity to race competitively in the Atlantic. All’s well right now. In the reaching phases, I know I’m quick and that’s what has enabled me to make up ground. All it takes is the right conditions to be able to fight it out.

My objective in this Vendée Globe, which was chosen in consultation with my sponsor, is to finish the race. I think I could have often done more, but with that comes more risk of breaking things. We know that we’re getting close to home now. We’ve just passed Cabo Frio, we’re entering a pattern of high pressure that we’re familiar with, the wind is increasingly stable and the air is less aggressive than in the South, so we’re going to have to push pedal to the metal and go for it!"