Vendée Globe – Kito de Pavant clocking up the miles

by Bruno Ménard / M&M on 15 Jul 2016 The skipper of Bastide Otio has been getting in a lot of sailing since his IMOCA was relaunched last month. Between two training sessions, taking part in the Giraglia (fourth), and a race around the Mediterranean with his substitute skipper, Alex Pella, he told us about the state of play with less than four months to go to the start of the Vendée Globe.

Kito, the countdown to the Vendée Globe has begun. How are things going with your preparation?

“Well, we’re more or less on schedule and sticking to the timetable. We did a lot of work on the boat during the winter, as she really needed that. We carried out some major modifications on key elements such as the ballast tanks and the steering system. We did this work in collaboration with the designers at VPLP and Guillaume Verdier and we’re currently checking all that. We’re doing a lot of sailing, getting out there every day, which is possible thanks to the summer weather in the Mediterranean.”

Can you tell us more about this work on the boat (ex-Hugo Boss / Virbac Paprec 3) and why you carried this out?

“As far as the ballast tanks are concerned, we took them apart and adjusted them with a very different configuration from what they had on Hugo Boss. We wanted a boat that would do better all round, as the Vendée Globe doesn’t just involve reaching and downwind sailing and you do get upwind periods too. We have found the right combination, I think by setting things up more like they were on Virbac-Paprec. It involved a lot of work, as we needed to break up everything before rebuilding. But now we have a boat that performs well in every point of sail, which does well upwind and in light conditions. That is exactly what I wanted.'

And the work on the steering system?

'We have moved a long way forward in that area too. We changed everything. I need to be able to enjoy myself at the helm and not leaver her under autopilot all the time. My former boat, Groupe Bel, was well known for having a helm that was incredibly smooth. We couldn’t go to two wheels, so we kept the tiller system, but did a lot of changes to the way the strains were taken up to make the steering much lighter. We ended up with a system that doesn’t take up too much room in the cockpit and which means you can position the boat well for the waves. I’m really pleased about that, as this was vital for me.'

You’ve also done some work on the electrical and electronic circuits?

'Yes, with the limited means at our disposal, we managed to change the electronics and renovate all the energy systems. In fact, in this area, we practically rebuilt everything. As soon as you start to change one thing and look around, you realise that you also need to change another part.'

“Clocking up the miles”

Going back to your programme, you seem to have a busy schedule…”

'Six months in the yard is long. We took the decision to carry out a major refit in the winter and not do the transatlantic races, as they would have taken up too much time and cost us too much. So we intended to sail as much as possible, once the refit was done. That’s what we’re doing now. We’re sailing every day clocking up the miles, so we don’t have time to take a holiday.”

Doesn’t preparing in the Mediterranean mean you miss out on racing against the others, who are based in the Atlantic?

'You might think that, but even if you’re in Brittany, it’s not that easy to set up training races. We finished fourth in real time in the Giraglia competing against big boats, including some from the Volvo Ocean Race. We manage to work well down here, so we don’t have any worries on that score. And we need to be down here to sail with our partners – the two headline partners, Bastide and Otio, as well as all those, who come together within the Made in Midi club. There are around forty. They are also involved in the project because of the fact that we can take them aboard. It’s very important to get them involved, as while we check over a few technical points, we are able to bring them into the heart of the project. Down here, with such fantastic conditions and no worries about the tide, we can sail all the time. There’s just going to be a short period in the yard removing her keel and mast in the second half of August. We’ll get her back in the water on 29th August and get back out there sailing again. After that, it will all happen very quickly. We will set off to take her to Les Sables d'Olonne in September.'

Everyone remembers your touch of humour with your campaign “This time, I’ll make it all the way.” Is that still your goal in this Vendée Globe?

“More than ever. The goal is to have a great story to tell, to complete the round the world voyage and to share that experience. That is our top priority, in fact our only goal. I want to see what it is like to sail back into the harbour entrance channel in Les Sables d’Olonne after finishing the Vendée Globe. I really must finish this round the world race. I simply have to. Having said that, I’m a born racer and I know that this boat can perform well, so completing the race also means getting a good result at the finish.'