Giancarlo Pedote in the Vendée Globe: The Pacific ahoy...
by Giancarlo Pedote 18 Dec 2020 11:49 UTC
18 December 2020
Giancarlo Pedote, skipper Prysmian Group - Vendée Globe © Jean-Marie Liot
At the longitude of Tasmania this Friday, Giancarlo Pedote is now navigating the Furious Fifties, synonymous with violent winds and heavy seas.
For the time being, though conditions are fairly mild, the major change for the skipper of Prysmian Group is undoubtedly the dramatic drop in air and water temperature, which is now bordering on zero.
As a result, the cold has become the latest sparring partner for the sailor, though he's in fine fettle and delighted at the prospect of crossing the 180th meridian or antemeridian, which forms the gateway to the Pacific Ocean and the start of a whole new chapter in his fantastic adventure circumnavigating the globe.
"Things are beginning to get pretty chilly!" commented Giancarlo Pedote, who has recently begun to slug it out in the Furious Fifties, a unique universe and a hostile territory, where the elements reign supreme over an intact and unsubdued nature.
"You have to adapt to it and change a few of your habits", admits the Italian sailor, who is back down in his living pod after jumping up into the cockpit briefly.
"I've just done a bit of winching at the pedestal to warm myself up and I'm going to make myself something to eat to warm myself up even more. After that, I'll have some time in my bunk where I've exchanged my duvet for my sleeping bag so I'm less cold and can sleep. I don't like it as much because once you're inside you feel wrapped up like a sausage so you're less reactive, but I have no choice in the matter! There's moisture in the air which is impossible to get away from and cuts right through to the bone", explained Giancarlo, whose steed is currently powering along at an average speed in excess of 16 knots, in conditions which are much more pleasant than they have been of late, smack bang in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
"We're still hurtling along but the sea is better organised so it's more manageable. It's important to make the most of the conditions to push pedal to the metal!" indicated the Florentine, who is really belting along right now, managing to make up around fifteen miles in relation to his direct rival Isabelle Joschke over the past 24 hours.
...and the halfway point in the race
"I'm being pushed along by a cold front, which is making headway at roughly the same speed as me" explained Giancarlo, who is delighted to see the Pacific Ocean taking shape on the horizon.
"Psychologically it's an important hurdle to get over. Leaving the Indian Ocean and entering into this new ocean will be a real morale booster, especially given that the antimeridian is synonymous with the midway point in the race", enthuses Giancarlo, who's finding it hard to get his head around the fact that he's been at sea for 40 days now.
"This Vendée Globe really is a crazy voyage and I have plenty of adventures to experience yet! I'm happy to be where I am and I'm happy to have managed to take good care of my boat so far as she's in great shape", assures the skipper of the 60-foot IMOCA in the colours of Prysmian Group and Electriciens sans Frontières, though he's feeling a little circumspect about how the troops are progressing.
"I thought we'd already be done with the Indian by this time. Four years ago, during the last edition of the Vendée Globe, the leading group were already playing around in the middle of the Pacific. I'm looking forward to discovering it for myself. I don't really know what to expect. It's going to be a surprise as I didn't really want to hear tell of it before I set sail. To my mind, there are certain things that you need to feel for yourself to really grasp it fully".