Nothing marked out Kito de Pavant to become a professional racer since his passion as a youth was instead geared towards the countryside and horse-riding… But when you have a father who builds small cruising yachts like the Cap Corse, the Dordogne river smacks of horizons faraway!

Whilst the majority of the IMOCA racers opted for overseas architects or those who have been a recognised part of the series for some years, Kito de Pavant was convinced by the approach of Marc Guillemot.