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Raymarine’s sailing Ambassador, Giancarlo Pedote ends the last edition of the Vendée Globe in 22nd place. After nearly three months of complex challenges and adverse weather conditions, he teaches us that goals go far beyond numbers and that inner strength is the key to overcoming your limits.
Wednesday - 12 February 2025
With the press and public, right before leaving. Copyright: Alea
85 days, 20 hours and 32 minutes at sea. These are the numbers from the Giancarlo Pedote's Vendée Globe, Raymarine's sailing Ambassador, as he crossed the finish line last Febrary 4th in Les Sables d'Olonne, France. Yet after a long and complex solo voyage around the globe, it is clear it is not just numbers that matter.
He states, “Every Vendée Globe is unique and must be approached with humility. This regatta is unpredictable. I am proud to have completed it despite the difficulties. Above all, I do not want to think that the final assessment of four years of hard work by me and my team can be easily described by a number. Those who judge the Vendée Globe by it, without taking into account any difficulties encountered, do not understand this regatta. Getting to the end is a more meaningful measure for a sailor than the actual final position on the leaderboard.”
Giancarlo crosses the finish line at Les Sables d'Olonne, France. Copyright: Alea
In these long months, Giancarlo has faced a series of challenges that led him to make difficult choices, questioning his expectations both as a Vendée Globe racer and as an ocean navigator.
In the first few weeks, he made a risky tactical decision when off the Canary Islands he crossed an area of becalmed conditions to climb the leader board. Then, a sudden damage to his mainsail required a lengthy 14 hour repair, right in the middle of the race.
The crossing of the Indian Ocean put him through an even more frustrating ordeal. The sea and wind were so violent that it felt like “being in a big washing machine.” The extreme conditions caused major damage to Prysmian, Giancarlo's IMOCA 60: the port rudder disengaged from its seat and compromised the control of the boat, preventing it from traveling at a competitive speed. He roughly managed to repair it, but from that moment onwards he had to avoid certain racing conditions. The consequences were not the most favourable for getting to the end of his race.
But it doesn't end there. He says that “the Atlantic upwelling was exhausting, with very strong winds alternating with moments of flat calm.” The weather conditions and the damage suffered by the boat continued to hinder him, right up to the end.
Giancarlo hugs his IMOCA 60 sailing boat Prysmian. Copyright: Alea
At the finish line on February 4, Giancarlo placed 22nd. He explains, “It is not the result I had hoped for, but considering the difficulties I faced, I am proud of my achievement, with the knowledge that the hard law of the sea is always right.”
Yet far beyond the numbers, Giancarlo continues to embody an outstanding example of resilience. He demonstrates how inner strength allows one to overcome any challenge, and to go beyond your limits.
We are proud to have been onboard with such a great sailor during his great adventure of the Vendée Globe. The Raymarine team congratulates Giancarlo for the values of integrity, respect and knowledge of our oceans that he was able to represent on a global stage.
