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28.05.2009 Back to news
Kito de Pavant to sail with François Gabart for the Transat Jacques Vabre
 | © Gilles Martin Raget |
The story of these two sailors is a good one. It is a story of natural closeness and mutual respect: one for the experience and personality of his elder, the other for the obvious spirit and talent of his junior.
Giving him a chance
"What I like about François is his willpower, enthusiasm, intelligence and great capacity to learn fast and well. He belongs to the new generation of racers who have both aspiration and method" explains the Groupe Bel skipper who likes to give a chance to young sailors, not very familiar with the IMOCA circuit, but with a great potential, just as he did on the Transat Jacques Vabre 2007 by sailing with Sebastien Col, for whom it was the first transatlancic race. "I'm interested in passing on my experience in both competitive and human terms. François knows how to defend his beliefs and manages well his career, as I would have liked to do at his age".
They first met in 2005. François had just finished his olympic preparation on the Tornado (racing catamaran) with the strong intention of taking up offshore racing. He registered with the Mediterranean Training Centre in which Kito sailed in the Figaro class. "I felt he was capable to succeed. After the Solitaire 2006 in which I was already racing under the Bel Group's colours, I lent him my boat for the Course des Falaises. François raced for the first time in the Figaro class with a Laughing Cow® on the mainsail. Maybe it was premonitory?"
The following year, Kito asked François to be his "route planner" on the Transat Jacques Vabre with the meteorologist, Hervé Perrin. "Despite his lack of offshore experience, his approach as an engineer and racer impressed us" added Kito who will be racing his 5th Transat Jacques Vabre this year and at the helm of Groupe Bel for the second time. "Although I bring my experience, François brings his freshness and motivation. Our association is a story that I want to experience and to talk about."
...and taking it up
His sun and spray-bleached hair crowns the face of an angel, but make no mistake, at sea, François Gabart knows how to dig in his elbow and his racing record has already earned respect. French Optimist Champion at the age of 14, French Moth Europe Champion at 17, and 4th in the European Championship at 18, he is also World Tornado Junior Champion and winner of the Challenge Espoir Région Bretagne 2008 in the Figaro class.
"Kito immediately had faith in me" he said. "I respect him as a sportsman but also as a man, for his humanity and his ability to make the right choices, to handle them and give 100% of himself in what he does. He is a sailor in the general sense. Before racing, Kito sailed a great deal and this now influences the way in which he races and runs his projects."
First rookie in the Solitaire last year, François has just finished 3rd in the Transat BPE, a fine performance for his first single-handed transatlantic crossing. "Before, I felt that this job was for me, but after the transat, I was certain that I really felt good at sea and that I was onto something. I dream all the more of having my own 60 footer project in the future", he went on. "Today, Kito is offering me the opportunity to progress along with him and on board of a high-performing well designed boat. We complement each other and we get on very well, two important factors of success. I'm not putting myself any pressure. Just as he is, I'm a racer and, above all, I want to give the best of myself."
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