BIO
“Alex Pella is one of the best seamen of his generation. Excellent sailor and skilled yachtsman, Alex owns admirable human qualities, which in a demanding regatta such as the Vendée Globe, are a very important asset. It would be a great pleasure and honour for the Vendée Globe to have Alex in the race. I have had the pleasure to work with Alex on several occasions and await with enthusiasm the enrolment of a Spanish team in the Vendée Globe”.
Denis Horeau, Director for the Vendée Globe
“Alex Pella has become the mirror in which many sailors should look into. Silently, he has climbed to the crest of the wave and now wishes to ride it”.
Theresa Zabell de Lucas . Vicepresident of the Spanish Olympic Committee. Double Olympic Gold medallist.
Alex Pella Valette was born in Barcelona on the 2nd of 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.
David, Alex, Borja and Nacho: The “Pella” brothers aboard the “Pepus IV”
To date, Alex has sailed on all kinds of racing boats, from the light Mini 650 to the most sophisticated Maxi-Trimarans. Over the years, Alex has specialised in offshore sailing with a reduced crew; particularly double and single handed. His sporting career is as broad and varied as his capacity to string projects and regattas together.
Start Mini Transat 650 2005, La Rochelle
Route des Princes 2013, Lorient
Record New York – Barcelona, New York, 2010
Start Mini Transat 650 2007, La Rochelle
Due to his experience, he became selected out of various international skippers, by the Film Production Company Gaumont, as skipper for the film “Turning Tide” (En Solitaire), which is about the Vendée Globe round-the-world race and stars the famous French actor François Cluzet.
Filming “Turning Tide”, Lorient, 2012
Alex Pella & François Cluzet
Alex has been a professional sailor for over 20 years, in which he has completed more than 400.000 nautical miles. He discovered his passion for offshore single-handed sailing at the end of the 90’s while preparing two Spanish boats for the “Solitaire du Figaro”.
Aboard the “Musandam Oman-Sail”, Round Ireland Record, 2015
Aboard the “Groupe Bel”, Port Camargue, 2012
In his first internationally renowned race -the legendary “Mini Transat 650”– 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.
Start Mini Transat 650 2003, La Rochelle
Finish Mini Transat 650 2005, Salvador de Bahia
Almost 10 years later and after having competed in all kinds of sailing boats, IMOCA, oceanic multihulls; on November 2014 Alex wrote himself into the history books, when he won the legendary Route du Rhum against 43 other competitors and became the first and only Spanish to win a transoceanic single-handed regatta.
Route du Rhum, 2014
Route du Rhum, 2014
Victory Route du Rhum, Guadeloupe, 2014
On the 26th of January 2017, Alex made history once again when he broke, with the rest of the team, the absolute round-the-world speed sailing record, known as the Jules Verne Trophy, aboard the sophisticated maxi-multihull IDEC-Sport. They circumnavigated the planet in 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds.
Aboard the “IDEC Sport” – Jules Verne Trophy, 2016
On the 16th of Novemver 2017, Alex won the Transat Jacques Vabre aboard the trimaran, Multi 50 “Arkema”; adding a new victory to his sporting career.
Victory Transat Jacques Vabre, 2017
On the 23rd of February 2018, Alex with the rest of Maserati’s crew managed to set a new record for the Tea Route between Hong Kong and London.
Hong Kong – London Record, 2018
SPORTING CAREER
2021
•1st RORC Transatlantic Race, aboard the Multi50 “Rayon Vert”
•Ultim 32/23 Circuit
2020
•3rd RORC Caribbean 600 – Swan Challenges Series, aboard the Swan65 S&S Sparkman & Stephens “Libelula”
•Ultim 32/23 Circuit
2019
•3rd Brest Atlantiques, aboard the Ultim “Actual Leader” with Yves Le Blevec
•Ultim 32/23 Circuit (Fastnet Race, Armen 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 Maserati Multi 70 •3rd Swan Cup, aboard the Swan65 S&S Sparkman & Stephens “Libelula”
•Classic Yachts Circuit, aboard the S&S Sparkman & Stephens “Galvana” of The Pella Brothers
2017
• 1st Transat Jacques Vabre, Multi50 aboard the “Arkema” in 10 days, 19 hours, 14 minutes and 19 seconds
• Jules Verne Trophy, absolute round-the-world speed sailing record, circunnavigation in 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds, aboard the “IDEC Sport” of Francis Joyon”
• 2nd The Bridge, aboard the “IDEC Sport”
• South Indian Ocean Record in 5 days, 21 hours, 7 minutes and 45 seconds, aboard the “IDEC Sport”
• South Pacific Ocean Record in 7 days, 21 hours, 13 minutes and 31 seconds, aboard the “IDEC Sport”
• Equator to Equator Record in 29 days, 9 hours, 10 minutes and 55 seconds, aboard the “IDEC Sport”
2016
• Jules Verne Trophy, round-the-world speed sailing record attempt, circunnavigation in 47 days, 14 hours and 47 minutes, aboard the “IDEC Sport” of Francis Joyon
• Substitute of the Vendée Globe, round-the-world, single-handed regatta, for the French skipper Kito de Pavant
• Circuit IMOCA 60
• Abandon Transat Québec – Saint-Maló, capsized aboard the “MOD70 Musandam Oman-Sail
• Classic Yachts Circuit, abordo the S&S Sparkman & Stephens “Galvana” of The Pella Brothers
2015
• Indian Ocean Record in 6 days, 23 hours and 4 minutes, aboard the ”IDEC Sport”, between Cape Agulhas in South Africa (20°East) and South East Cape in Tasmania (146°49 East)
• Round Ireland Sailing Record in 40 hours, 51 minutes and 57 seconds, aboard the “MOD 70 Musandam-Oman Sail”
• 1st Sailing Arabia – The Tour, aboard the “EFG Bank (Monaco)” of Sidney Gavignet
2014
• 1st Route du Rhum, aboard the “Tales II
• Record Route du Rhum – Class40 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
• Class 40 Circuit
2013
• Class 40 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 (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 Class 40 World Championships, aboard the “TALES” of Gonzalo Botín
2009
• IMOCA 60 Circuit
• 4th Istambul Europa Race, aboard the “Virbac Paprec” of Jean Pierre Dick
• 5th Transat Jacques Vabre (Transoceanic double-handed regatta), aboard the “W Hotels”
2008
• Class 40 Circuit, double-handed, aboard the “Tales” of Gonzalo Botín
• 2nd Class 40 World Championships
2007
• Record Denia – Ibiza in 5 hours, 38 minutes and 11 seconds, aboard the “Generalitat Valenciana”
• Mini Transat 6.50 Circuit, single-handed, aboard the “Generalitat Valenciana”
• Abandon Mini Transat 6.50 after dismasting near Cape Verde
2006
• Med Cup Circuit TP 52, aboard the “BRIBÓN”, skipped by S.M. Juan Carlos I
• Mini Transat 6.50 Circuit, single-handed, aboard the “OpenSea”
2005
• 2nd Mini Transat 6.50 (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
• Mini Transat 6.50 aboard the “OpenSea”
2004
• IMS Circuit aboard the “Azur de Puig” skipped by S.A.R la Infanta Cristina
• Mini Transat 6.50 Circuit aboard the “Open Sea”, double and single-handed
• Preparation ORMA 60 “GITANA” Trimaran
2003
• 3rd Mini Transat 6.50 (International Transoceanic single-handed regatta, 90 participants) aboard the “Santiveri-Texknit”
• First Spanish podium on a single-handed transoceanic regatta
• Mini Transat 6.50 Circuit, aboard the “Sampaquita”
AWARDS
• 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