Two ascents to the top of the mast, but an antenna fixed!

The Vendée Globe is certainly no bed of roses and Giancarlo Pedote has been paying the price for that, once again, over the past twelve hours. Between 19:30 hours yesterday and 09:45 hours this Thursday, the skipper of Prysmian Group battled to resolve a problem with his mast antenna, a piece of kit that sits atop the mast measuring all the wind information and transmitting that data to the displays (speed and direction of the apparent wind, speed and direction of the true wind and the maximum wind speed). “Before scaling the mast, I ate 250g of pasta with olive oil and parmesan, topped off by a piece of chocolate to give me as much strength as possible. I got togged up and then went for it. Once I’d got to the top, I struggled to dismantle the mast wand as my hands were icy cold, but I managed to do it. Back down on the deck, I got in touch with my electronics contact and together we came up with a solution for repairing the part”, commented the Italian sailor, who later hesitated for a moment before climbing back up to the top of the mast, but finally rallied himself in a bid to get the perilous job done as soon as possible. “I was keen to get it over and done with as quickly as I could. As a result, I contacted Race Management again to inform them of my intention. I climbed to the top of the mast with my tools and reinstalled the antenna. Once again it was a laborious task. At one point, my left hand was no longer responding to my brain as a result of the cold, as well as having my hands constantly aloft in a complicated position”, explained the Florentine who, once again demonstrated great courage and determination. “I’ve just completed the operation and powered the boat back up. I haven’t stopped for a second since yesterday evening, but I’m happy as I didn’t think it would be possible to switch antennas mid-ocean, especially smack bang in the middle of the Pacific”, said Giancarlo, relieved and satisfied at having got the job done. “Once again, I’ve overcome my limitations and my fears. You know that when you set sail on the Vendée Globe, you do it to push back the boundaries and today I’ve clearly set the bar a little higher on a personal level” added the skipper. “I’ve had a complete change of clothing as all my layers were soaked with sweat. Right now, I’m going to prepare myself a good hot tea. If my antenna holds out, it’ll be a fantastic Christmas present for me. To celebrate, I’d planned to have a shower and a shave, but in the end I had other priorities”.