With this Barcelona World Race Kito de Pavant is hoping to put the abandoned Vendée Globe (due to boat damage) behind him and to complete his first circumnavigation of the globe. He has an exceptional partner with which to do so in the form of Sébastien Audigane.
Kito is one of France's most outstanding solo sailors. He has risen through the ranks of the Figaro Class and has notched up three spectacular victories in the Solitaire du Figaro 2002, the Transat AG2R 2006 and the Solo Med 2006. In the IMOCA Open 60 Class, he came second in the recent Transat Jacques Vabre on Groupe Bel, (regatta in which he finished third in 2005) took second place in the Istanbul Europa Race 2009, with Sébastien Audigane onboard. Kito has raced extensively on multihulls and has some 35 Atlantic crossings under his belt, two Indian Ocean crossings, one Pacific and the South China Sea.
Sébastien Audigane is an offshore multihull speed expert. He broke a distance record for 24 hours in 2009 with 907 miles, the North Atlantic Record in 2009, sailed the Discovery Route in 2007 and the 2005 Jules Verne Trophy, which he has also competed in five times. His IMOCA Open 60 experience is broad and before teaming up with Kito on Groupe Bel, he was involved in campaigns with Roland Jourdain, Yann Eliès, Marc Guillemot adn Johny Malbon. Like Kito, Sébastien has an extensive Figaro Class CV, with seven Solitaires du Figaro and three Transat AG2R entries. Together the skippers have sailed some 15,000 miles.
THE TEAM
Kito de Pavant
Birthplace: Dordogne (France)
Residence: Monferrier-sur-Lez (Hérault, France)
Marital Status: woth partner, five children
Age at start: 50
Previous entrant in the BWR: No
Team website: www.sharingsmilestour.com
Sébastien Audigane
Birthplace: Brest (France)
Residence: Port Louis, France
Marital Status: with partner, 3 childrens
Age at start: 42
Previous entrant in the BWR: No
Team website: www.sharingsmilestour.com
Kito de Pavant
Round the world regattas:
- Vendée Globe 2008/09 (abandoned – broken mast)
Transats:
- 35 Atlantic crossings, two Indian Ocean and one Pacific Ocean and South China Sea crossing.
Highlights include:
- Transat AG2R 2006, (1st) on Groupe Bel (Figaro Class), with D’Ali Pietro double-handed.
- Transat Jacques Vabre 2009 (2nd), on Groupe Bel, (IMOCA Open 60) with François Gabart double-handed.
- Transat BtoB 2007 (Brazil-Brittany solo), (2nd)
- Transat Jacques Vabre 2005 (3rd), on Bonduelle (IMOCA Open 60) with Jean Le Cam double-handed.
Other long distance racing:
- Istanbul Europa Race 2009 (2nd) on Groupe Bel (IMOCA Open 60) with crew.
- 8 participations in the Solitaire du Figaro with a victory in 2002
- Winner of the Solo Méditerranée (Figaro) in 2006
- Winner of the Tour de France à la Voile 2003
- Transmed 1984 (1st), Solo Med 2006, Tour de France à la Voile, Cap Istanbul.
Sébastien Audigane
Round the world regattas:
- Jules Verne Trophy 2005 on maxi-catamaran Orange II with Bruno Peyron
- Five starts at the Jules Verne Trophy (withdrawals for technical reasons)
Multihull records:
- 24 hour distance record 2009: 907 miles.
- New York North Atlantic to Cap Lizard 2009
- Jules Verne Trophy 2005
Transats:
- Discovery Route 2007 (1st) multihull.
- Transat Jacques Vabre 2007 (2nd), on Generali (IMOCA Open 60) with Yann Eliès, double-handed.
- Three participations in the Transat AG2R: 1996, 1997, 2000 (Figaro) double-handed.
Other long-distance regattas:
- Seven entries in the Solitaire du Figaro with leg victory in 2002
- Istanbul Europa Race 2009 (2nd) on Groupe Bel (IMOCA Open 60) with crew.
- Route des Fares (Trimaran ORMA)
- Tour de France à la Voile
- Calais Round Britain Race
The boat
Groupe Bel is the boat Kito de Pavant has taken the equivalent of twice around the world. The VPLP / Verdier design caused a sensation along with Marc Guillemot's Safran in the last Vendée Globe for their lightness, with radical solutions and outstanding performance downwind. Kito came to the solo round the world challenge with a second place in the Transat B to B, but unfortunately a broken mast halted his great project. Back with force and with a new mast, the Frenchman took Groupe Bel to a magnificent second place in the Transat Jacques Vabre, sailing double-handed with François Gabart (Michel Desjoyeaux's partner on Foncia for this Barcelona World Race).
Technical Characteristics+
Designer: VPLP / Verdier
Shipyard: Indiana Yachting (Italy)
Launch: 6 september 2007
Previous names: N/A
Length: 18.28 m
Beam: 5.5 m
Draught: 4.5 m
Displacement: 8,500 kg
Centreboards : 2 straight asymmetric.
Keel blade material: Carbon
Bulb material: Lead
Mast height: 27 m
Rigging: wing shaped rotating mast with outriggers.
Total sail area close-hauled: 320m2
Total sail area downwind: 670m2
Number of sails onboard: 10
Rudder: Wheel
Rudder blades: under hull, can be removed via deck.
Autopilots onboard: 1
Onboard energy source: Solar, hydro-dynamic, wind and generator engine
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