Alex Pella (born 2 November 1972) is a Spanish yachtsman. In 2014 he became the first and only Spanish to win a transoceanic single-handed race, the Route du Rhum. Alex Pella made history once again, on the 26th of January 2017, when he broke, with the rest of the team, the absolute round-the-world speed sailing record, known as the

Jules Verne Trophy The Jules Verne Trophy is a prize for the fastest circumnavigation of the world by any type of yacht with no restrictions on the size of the crew provided the vessel has registered with the organization and paid an entry fee. A vessel holding th ...

., aboard the sophisticated maxi-multihull IDEC 3. They circumnavigated the planet in 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds.

Early life

Alex was born in Barcelona on 2 November 1972, within a nautical environment and a sailing family. Second of four brothers, who have all made boats and sailing their profession, he began to sail as a very young boy aboard his family’s yacht. To date, Alex has sailed on all kinds of racing boats, from the light

Mini Transat 6.50 Mini Transat 6.50 also known by a number of alternatives Mini, Class Mini, Transat 650 is a development measurement controlled offshore sailing primarily used for racing in the Mini Transat Race hence the name. Background History The Classe Min ...

to the most sophisticated Maxi-Trimarans. Alex has been a professional sailor for over 15 years, in which he has completed more than 150.000 nautical miles. He discovered his passion for offshore single-handed sailing at the end of the 1990s while preparing two Spanish boats for the Solitaire du Figaro. In his first internationally renowned race -the

- Alex Pella obtained the best classifications in history for a non-French skipper. He was third in 2003 and second in 2005, winning the long leg from the Canary Islands to Brazil. He thus became the first and only Spanish to win a leg in a transoceanic solo race.

Other accomplishments

On 19 November 2014, Alex Pella wins the Route du Rhum aboard the "Tales II" and becomes the first and only Spanish to win a transoceanic single-handed regatta. Alex Pella wrote himself into the history books of the Route du Rhum solo Transatlantic race and Spanish ocean racing when he crossed the finish line of the 3542 miles La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe race first in

Class40 Class40 is a class of monohull sailboat and a yacht primarily used for short handed offshore and coastal racing. The class is administered by International Class40 Association which is recognised by the World Sailing. Background In 2004 forme ...

at 06:47:08 hrs TU/07:47:08hrs CET/02:47:08 Local Gaudeloupe. He sets a new course record of 16d17h47m8s, beating the 2010 mark for the 40 foot Class 17d 23h 10m by 1d 5h 23m 09s. After starting off Saint Malo on his 42nd birthday, Sunday 2 November, the Spanish sailor took 16d17h47m8s to complete the 3542 miles course, at a theoretical average speed of 8.82kts. In reality he sailed 4336 miles at an average speed of 10.79kts.

Sporting career

2021: *1st RORC Transatlantic Race, aboard the Multi50 "Rayon Vert" * Ultim 32/23 Circuit *Classic Yachts Circuit, aboard the S&S

Sparkman & Stephens Sparkman & Stephens is a naval architecture and yacht brokerage firm with offices in Newport, Rhode Island and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA. The firm performs design and engineering of new and existing vessels for pleasure, commercial, and milita ...

"Galvana" of The Pella Brothers 2020: *3rd RORC Caribbean 600 – Swan Challenges Series, aboard the Swan65 S&S

"Libelula" * Ultim 32/23 Circuit 2019: *3rd Brest Atlantiques, aboard the Ultim "Actual Leader" with Yves Le Blevec * Ultim 32/23 Circuit (Armen Race, Fastnet Race...etc.) *3rd Défi Atlantique, aboard the Class 40 "Made in Midi" with Kito de Pavant *2nd Panerai Transat Classique, aboard the Yawl Olin Stephens "Stiren" 2018: *Record Hong Kong - London, Tea Route, in 36 days, 2 hours, 37 minutes and 12 seconds, aboard the MOD70 Maserati *3rd Swan Cup, aboard the Swan65 S&S

"Libelula" *Classic Yachts Circuit, aboard the S&S

"Galvana" of The Pella Brothers 2017: *1st Transat Jacques Vabre, Multi50 aboard the Arkema in 10 days, 19 hours, 14 minutes and 19 seconds *

, absolute round-the-world speed sailing record, aboard the IDEC 3. Fastest circumnavigation of the world in 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds *2nd The Bridge, aboard the IDEC 3 *South Indian Ocean Record in 5 days, 21 hours, 7 minutes and 45 seconds, aboard the IDEC 3 *South Pacific Ocean Record in 7 days, 21 hours, 13 minutes and 31 seconds, aboard the IDEC 3 *Equator to Equator Record in 29 days, 9 hours, 10 minutes and 55 seconds, aboard the IDEC 3 *Classic Yachts Circuit, aboard the S&S

"Galvana" of The Pella Brothers *In 2017-18, he was a crewmember on leg 3 with Team AkzoNobel in the Volvo Ocean Race . 2016: *

, record attempt, aboard the IDEC 3. Circumnavigation of the world in 47 days, 14 hours and 47 minutes *Substitute of the Vendée Globe, round-the-world, single-handed regatta, for the French skipper Kito de Pavant * IMOCA 60 Circuit *Abandon

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, capsized aboard the "MOD70 Musandam Oman-Sail" *Classic Yachts Circuit, aboard the S&S

"Galvana" of The Pella Brothers 2015: *1st Sailing Arabia – The Tour, aboard the “EFG Bank (Monaco)” of Sidney Gavignet *Round Ireland Sailing Record in 40 hours, 51 minutes and 57 seconds, aboard the "

MOD 70 The Multi One Design 70 (MOD 70) is a multihull one-design yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intende ...

Musandam-Oman Sail" *Indian Ocean Record in 6 days, 23 hours and 4 minutes, aboard the '' IDEC 3'', between Cape Agulhas in South Africa (20°East) and South East Cape in Tasmania (146°49 East) 2014: *1st Route du Rhum, aboard the “Tales II” *Record Route du Rhum –

in 16 days, 17 hours, 47 minutes and 8 seconds, aboard the “Tales II” *First and only Spanish to win a transoceanic single-handed regatta *Trophée Course Open UNCL (Union Nationale pour la Course au Large) *

Circuit 2013: *

Circuit *2nd Transat Jacques Vabre (Transoceanic double-handed regatta), aboard the “Tales II” of Gonzalo Botín *Oceanic Multihull Circuit *1st Around Europe, Route des Princes, aboard the Maxi-Trimaran, “Prince de Bretagne 80” of Lionel Lemonchois 2012: * IMOCA 60 Circuit *4th Around Europe, Europa Warm’UP, aboard the “Groupe Bel” of Kito de Pavant *Substitute of the Vendée Globe, round-the-world, single-handed regatta, for the French skipper Kito de Pavant *Skipper of the IMOCA 60 “DCNS” for the film “Turning Tide” (“En Solitaire”), with the famous French actor Fraçois Cluzet 2011: * IMOCA 60 Circuit *4th

Barcelona World Race The Barcelona World Race is a non-stop, round-the-world yacht race for crews of two, sailed on Open 60 IMOCA monohull boats. Following the Clipper route, it starts and finishes in Barcelona, and is organised by the Barcelona Ocean Sailing Fou ...

(round-the-world, double-handed regatta, 30.000 miles), aboard the “Estrella Damm” 2010: * IMOCA 60 Circuit *3rd Vuelta a España, with crew, aboard the “Estrella Damm” *Record New York – Barcelona in 12 days, 6 hours, 3 minutes and 48 seconds, aboard the “Estrella Damm” *1st

World Championships, aboard the “TALES” of Gonzalo Botín 2009: *IMOCA 60 Circuit *4th Istanbul Europa Race, aboard the “Virbac Paprec” of Jean Pierre Dick *5th Transat Jacques Vabre (Transoceanic double-handed regatta), aboard the “W Hotels” 2008: *

Circuit, double-handed, aboard the “Tales” of Gonzalo Botín *2nd

World Championships 2007: *Record Denia - Ibiza in 5 hours, 38 minutes and 11 seconds, aboard the “Generalitat Valenciana” *

Circuit, single-handed, aboard the “Generalitat Valenciana” *Abandon

after dismasting near Cape Verde 2006: *Med Cup Circuit

TP 52 The Transpac 52 (TP52) is a class of yacht used for competitive 52 Super Series yacht racing, and the Audi MedCup previously, besides the world championship of the class. The class is recognised by the International Sailing Federation which entit ...

, aboard the “BRIBÓN”, skipped by S.M. Juan Carlos I *

Circuit, single-handed, aboard the “OpenSea” 2005: *2nd

(International Transoceanic single-handed regatta, 90 participants), aboard the “OpenSea-TeamWork” *First and only Spanish to win a leg of a transoceanic single-handed regatta *

aboard the “OpenSea” 2004: *IMS Circuit aboard the “Azur de Puig” skipped by S.A.R la Infanta Cristina *

Circuit aboard the “Open Sea”, double and single-handed *Preparation

ORMA 60 ORMA 60 is a class of sailing trimarans administered by the Ocean Racing Multihull Association (ORMA) that created in 1996 by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) within the sport of sailing. The boats were built to a box rule that permitted ...

“GITANA” Trimaran *Selected Best Spanish Sailor Year 2003 2003: *3rd

(International Transoceanic single-handed regatta, 90 participants) aboard the “Santiveri-Texknit” *First Spanish podium on a single-handed transoceanic regatta *

Circuit, aboard the “Sampaquita”

Awards

*Juan Sebastian Elcano Award 2019 *Selected Best Spanish Sailor Year 2014 *Trophée Course Open UNCL (Union Nationale pour la Course au Large) Year 2014 *Selected Best Spanish Sailor Year 2013 *Selected Best Spanish Sailor Year 2003

Filmography

* 2017
"Informe Robinson: La vuelta al mundo de Alex Pella"
* 2014
"Esta es la victoria de todos" - Route du Rhum
Documentary Alex Pella * 2013: ''Turning Tide (En solitaire)'' de Christophe Offenstei
Making-of "Turning Tide" (En solitaire)

References

External links

Official website of Alex Pella

Official Facebook of Alex Pella

Official Twitter of Alex Pella

Profile of Alex Pella on the official website of the Route du Rhum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pella, Alex 1972 births Living people Single-handed sailors Spanish male sailors (sport) Volvo Ocean Race sailors