Prysmian Group and Giancarlo Pedote together for the Vendée Globe 2020 challenge

Prysmian Group and Giancarlo Pedote together for the Vendée Globe 2020

 

The Vendée Globe is considered the hardest regatta, a real test of physical, emotional and mental resistance. It consists of a solo tour of the world (with the complete circumnavigation of the Antarctica), with no possibility of docking or external assistance, with departure and arrival from the French port of Les Sables-d'Olonne, in the Loire.

It represents a regatta that has a special charm. Italy participates only in the second edition of 1992-93 with Vittorio Malingri, who unfortunately could not conclude due to a failure at the helm; in 2000-01 with Simone Bianchetti, twelfth at the finish line, and Pasquale Di Gregorio, fifteenth; and in 2012-13 with Alessandro Di Benedetto, who scored the best Italian result with an eleventh place.

“Prysmian remains committed to sailing not only because the sport embodies values cherished by Prysmian, such as ambition and the constant pursuit of new challenges, but also because wind and renewable energy represent an important part of its business. Giancarlo Pedote will be Prysmian's ambassador to the world, and we are pleased to be partnering with Electriciens sans frontières, with which we share a commitment to promoting the development of local communities through access to energy.”

Valerio Battista

CEO Prysmian Group

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Electriciens sans frontières: a special partner for our commitment in sustainability and solidarity

Prysmian Group has been collaborating with the NGO Electriciens sans frontières since 2016. The initiatives pursued by the organisation are are numerous. Electriciens sans frontières currently boasts approximately 1,300 volunteers involved in 140 projects around 35 countries.

Prysmian Group’s commitment for sustainability is led by several projects, such as "Saponé" in Burkina Faso and "Meru Children’s Home" in Kenya, which improved conditions of access to energy for local communities. 

Prysmian Group has also supported the construction of numerous photovoltaic installations:

  • In the town of Point-Sofia, Madagascar, to power two elementary schools, a college and a healthcare facility;

  • In the village of Chiulo, Angola, to resolve the local hospital's severe energy shortage;

  • In Palermo, Italy, to provide electricity to a facility that is home to approximately one hundred individuals in situations of adversity.

Prysmian Group and Giancarlo Pedote, a 10 year old partnership

“Life is a story. Very often, these stories intersect with one another. My story has intersected with that of the Prysmian Group. I have been racing with Prysmian since 2007. This bond of trust fills me with a deep sense of pride in sailing aboard the boat of a company that has grown so much since 2005, and has offered me the opportunity to grow as well. Now, being able to take part in such an ambitious project together with a company that I saw be founded and rise so high fills me with great enthusiasm and the sense of being a part of something. Looking back on myself in 2007, I feel a certain peace of mind thanks to the approach I have taken to my work, which is rewarding me for all the efforts I have put in, although I still feel the uncertainty of knowing that no way of doing things is perfect, fully satisfying and capable of ensuring complete peace of mind. All of this is wrapped up in that warm thrill that comes from opening a new door: the thrill of being back in the first grade, in uniform, with that stiff collar, backpack strapped to my shoulders. All I remember of my first day of school was the sense of discovery, that same feeling that I felt when I set out on my adventure aboard the Prysmian ITA 626, and that I feel today at the dawn of this great adventure: circumnavigating the globe. Yes, in the end I believe that living a life is like writing a story. Very often this story intersects with other stories, and this overlapping makes it possible to create virtuous circles among people.”

Giancarlo Pedote, Skipper