Knowing how to strike a balance

Midway between the longitudes of Madagascar and the Kerguelen Islands this Monday, Giancarlo Pedote is continuing to make headway across a chaotic Indian Ocean, which is certainly living up to its reputation. Preserving the machine remains the watchword for the skipper of Prysmian Group, who was being buffeted by winds in excess of 40 knots this morning, as he negotiates a front. Above all though, he’s having to deal with boat-breaking seas, which are forcing him to ease off the pace a little on the way to Cape Leeuwin. Though he admits to being a little ‘conservative’ in the way he’s navigating these tough conditions, the Italian sailor is also taking good care of his gear and himself, and will be ready to attack the moment the situation is more favourable. “This morning a front is rolling over the top of us. I’ve recorded over 40 knots of breeze. I’m really trying to hang on in there as the cross seas are still very short. Several times, the boat has powered up on a surf and slammed into the wave in front or, on numerous occasions, on the flipside of that, she has been caught up by the wave behind”, commented Giancarlo Pedote at midday, after hooking back up with some more manageable wind conditions. “Ahead of us, there’s a NW’ly wind, but for now we’re still contending with the SW’ly wind, on the back of the low-pressure system. The advantage of this is that we’re able to set a course at 90°, which means we’re heading due east”, enthused the Italian skipper, ranked 10th, who is still racing hard at an average speed of 15 knots. Managing to tame the Southern Ocean “I’ve decided to stay a little bit further north than my direct rivals in a bid to preserve my gear. I make no secret of the fact that I’m sailing quite conservatively right now because, though you might not think it, in the Indian Ocean, the boat suffers quite a lot. To my mind, it’s good to limit the impact and the slamming. Once the sea conditions are more manageable, I’ll get back on the fight to catch up with them, but right now, it’s a very bumpy road and now is not the time to show off”, stressed the skipper of the 60-foot IMOCA in the colours of Prysmian Group and Electriciens sans frontières, who is in relative awe of the famously formidable and dreaded Indian Ocean. “I’m discovering a massive amount. I’d never sailed in the Southern Ocean before and people had talked to me about it fairly fleetingly, doubtless because it’s indescribable”, added Giancarlo, unsettled by the size of the waves. Knowing how to be patient “They are very high and the distance between them is fairly short. When you go up forward on the boat, it’s a bit scary, but part of that sentiment is linked to the fact that the air is cold and the sky is grey… Logically, you feel as if you’re in an unexplored zone. It gradually becomes easier to cope with and it’s a bit like the first time you cross the Bay of Biscay in that regard. The more time goes on, the better placed you are to know what sail to carry and manage the surfs… I’m staying patient and calm, well aware that it’s a long race and that to finish it you have to rack up the least amount of damage possible”, concludes Giancarlo Pedote, who for now is managing to strike a good balance in the right places and is gaining an increasingly precise idea of how a new boat might look, armed with the incredible experience he is racking up right now.