"Staying focused"

Aboard Prysmian Group, sailing conditions this morning are excellent and Giancarlo Pedote is full of beans: he’s resolved his issue with a diesel leak, he’s delighted at the prospect of a potential squeezing together of the fleet and he’s enjoying the company of an albatross, who has been following him for several hours in the "deep south blue’ sky

“All’s well. I have great conditions, there’s an albatross following me, I have smooth seas and a breeze that is accompanying me on my journey eastwards. I couldn’t ask for more!

 

Staying focused

I think we’re in a situation where it’s important to keep calm, not get in a flap if you get caught up and not feel demoralised if those in front steal a march. There’s still a long way to go and it’s important to stay focused. There’s still 10,000 miles left to sail. For now, it’s a drag race. Everyone’s playing around with the weather systems and there are no major options so it’s all down to speed. The sky is deep south blue, a hue that doesn’t form part of the colour chart, but I’ve now decided that ‘deep south blue’ is a thing. There’s a sturdy albatross flying in my wake. It’s fabulous!

 

A festive season at sea

I’ll cook up a nice meal, with cakes I used to eat every Christmas with my grandfather, who passed away this year, but made it to 100 years of age. I’ll have Christmas in his company. I also have some presents. Like children everywhere, when I wake up, I’ll race to open my bag and my presents. In fact, I have an idea on that score: I’m going to draw a Christmas tree and I’m going to put the presents under it near the engine. The engine is a highlight of the boat. Normally, everyone moans on a boat when you turn the engine on because of the noise, but right now, the reverse is true: I open the cover, I look at the engine and I warm myself up. The relativity of life is crazy: something that usually upsets you in everyday life becomes your best friend. The human being is full of contradictions and you realise a lot of different truths at sea.”