Giancarlo Pedote teams up with Martin Le Pape for the Transat Jacques Vabre
by Giancarlo Pedote 28 Jul 2021 21:27 AEST
7 November 2021
Giancarlo Pedote and Martin Le Pape © DR
Without mutual trust, without a shared vision, performance is not possible! Giancarlo Pedote, who's preparing to take part in his fourth Coffee Route, having previously won the 2015 race paired in the Multi50 category, has long been aware of how essential these elements are.
As such, the skipper of the 60-foot IMOCA in the colours of Prysmian Group and Electriciens sans Frontières has carefully considered who to choose as his co-skipper for the 15th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre, which is due to set sail on Sunday 7 November 2021. In this way, the Italian skipper has decided on Martin Le Pape to support him on the 5,800-mile course bound for Fort-de-France, in Martinique, via the Brazilian archipelago of Fernando de Noronha.
"The human factor is crucial in an exercise for a transatlantic race like the Jacques Vabre, which lasts around two weeks. It's important not to overlook that. As far as I'm concerned at least, it's something I attach a great deal of importance to as I'm absolutely passionate about what I do", explains Giancarlo Pedote, who knows that it's not enough to simply have all the right ingredients if you're to form a winning team.
"If the duo is not united, it doesn't work", adds the Italian sailor, who's well aware that to form an effective pairing, you have to instil into it impetus, desire, organisation, rhythm, sharing, emotion and a story.
"For this 2021 edition, choosing Martin Le Pape was a pretty natural process. He's someone I've been following for a long time on the Figaro Bénéteau circuit. He's a talented sailor, who recently proven that he's got what it takes by snatching victory in the Tour de Bretagne à la Voile teamed up with Sébastien Col. He's also an enthusiastic and motivated guy and that's a key driver for me as someone who loves everything I undertake with a passion", explains Giancarlo, whose projects are a very intense experience and the perfect platform for him to constantly forge ahead as he loves to do.
Passion is the key word
"Beyond the human aspect, calling upon the services of Martin makes good sense to me in my bid to continue raising my game", says the sailor, 8th in the last edition of the Vendée Globe, who is reluctant to rest on his laurels.
"It's always intriguing and constructive to have fresh insight. It enables you to compare points of view and see other ways of doing things. In short, it allows you to see the bigger picture. Our first test sails have gone very smoothly and the Rolex Fastnet Race, which we'll race double-handed in August, will be a great opportunity to get our bearings together in race format and then power the boat up in her current configuration. It's sure to be a wonderful debut adventure for us!" adds the skipper of Prysmian Group.
A quid pro quo duo
This is a sentiment shared by Martin Le Pape, who's delighted to be pooling his experience with that of the Italian sailor.
"You can't refuse an opportunity like the one Giancarlo's offering me! I feel incredibly lucky to be able to make the most of both his offshore experience and his Transat Jacques Vabre knowledge", explains the sailor from north-west France, who has been competing on the very demanding Figaro Bénéteau circuit for the past seven years and is thrilled at the prospect of taking part in this legendary double-handed transatlantic race from Le Havre for the very first time. Especially so in the prestigious IMOCA category.
"The experience will enable me to gain a foothold in this class and the timing is spot on in my search for a partnership for the Vendée Globe 2024. In sporting terms it's going to be very interesting as Giancarlo knows his boat inside out. He's an excellent sailor and I'm very happy to be pairing up with him. I'll get a massive amount out of the experience from him and hopefully I'll be able to inspire him with my culture of close-contact racing", concludes Martin Le Pape.
Francesco Zecchi, Prysmian's MID Director Southern Europe: "We're very happy to be kicking off the new post-Vendée Globe sports season with what is an important competition in the IMOCA class. It will be an opportunity for Prysmian Ocean Racing and Giancarlo to fire up our joint project again, boosted by the knowledge and experience gained with the boat. The Rolex Fastnet Race will also be another opportunity to celebrate the colours of our Prysmian Group brand and showcase its values on an international stage."