De Pavant has never lost the taste for sailing. With the support of his partners, Otio and Bastide Médical being the headline sponsors, Kito de Pavant began looking for another boat after losing his in the Vendée Globe. While looking at several possibilities, with one or more hulls, it was Yannick Bestaven who came up with the solution. The former was looking for a boat to compete in the 2017 Transat Jacques Vabre, while the other had just acquired an IMOCA and was looking for partners for the 2020 Vendée Globe. It was all down to luck, as Kito and Yannick know each other well and will certainly enjoy sailing together.
Kito de Pavant: “I have known Yannick for ages. We met in the Figaro circuit and he is someone I really appreciate. He was my substitute skipper for the 2011 Barcelona if either of us (Kito was with Sébastien Audigane) found himself unable to take part. We delivered the boat together between Port Camargue and Barcelona. That was the only time we have sailed together. Since then, he has been our supplier for the Watt & Sea hydrogenerators. He’s a nice chap and I think we’ll get on well together. He has already achieved a lot, particularly in the Transat Jacques Vabre. This will be ninth edition. We’re a great team and have complementary skills. We had often thought about sailing across the Atlantic together, but it never happened, so now this is a great opportunity.”
Yannick Bestaven: “I’m very pleased about this pairing. I have known Kito for a long time and we have been through a lot together, in particular returning to port in the 2008 Vendée Globe. That brings us together. Kito is a sailor I respect a lot, both in terms of his personality and his sporting ability. He has a great list of successes and has always been up there in the Transat Jacques Vabre. That shows what a talent he is. Working with Kito is is a great opportunity for my 2020 Vendée Globe project, as he has a lot of experience of IMOCAs. This is a fantastic project that we’re gradually setting up and we’ll be stepping things up until the start from Le Havre.”
