If you spot a slightly piratical figure walking down the dock at a 44Cup event, it is likely you have encountered the amiable Mikel Pasabant, a key crewmember on board Peninsula Racing. Pasabant is also the nearest to being a ‘local’ here at the 44Cup in Baiona. Pasabant has been part of John Bassadone’s team since even before they joined the 44Cup back in 2011. He remains one of the ‘original’ Peninsula crew alongside Bassadone and German Panei.
The 44Cup has visited many places in Spain from Valencia, Palma and Sotogrande to Puerto Calero in Lanzarote to Alcaidesa Marina in La Linea last year. This week’s event in Baiona has been the first time in the 44Cup's 17 year history that it has visited Galicia, the ‘autonomous community’ in northwest Spain, globally famous for its seafood and Albariño wine.
“It is one of the best thing we could have done,” Pasabant says of the 44Cup making its debut in his home region. “I enjoy it being here a lot. I consider this to be one of the best places to sail. I remember sailing here when I was young, so coming back again now is amazing.”
In fact Pasabant is from Galicia’s most famous port La Coruña to the north of Baiona, where his father first introduced him to sailing in his youth. Due to his studying he didn’t follow the dinghy route that most professional sailors do, but aged 18-20 moved straight into big boats, mostly via events held out of the Real Club Náutico de La Coruña. Although it has diminished since, at the time there was active inshore and offshore keelboat racing, including a hotly contested championship between clubs in the Rías Baixas including La Coruna, Vigo, Sansenxo and Baiona. There was also a highly active circuit for IMS boats across Spain and Europe, largely fuelled by the participation of the Spanish monarch, King Juan Carlos I. During this period Pasabant fell in with perhaps Spain’s most influencial sailor/manager Pedro Campos, whose base is in Sansenxo (to the north of Baiona). Pasabant ended up as boat captain on Campos’ highly successful 56 footer, which was based in this area but competed in all the major regattas, winning many including the prestigious Copa del Rey in Palma. Many at the yacht club in Baiona still remember him from those days.
This led to Pasabant being signed up to race on Telefonica Black in the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race. At the time he admits he preferred offshore racing to inshore. “I felt much more comfortable offshore and with all the things that you need to have under your control, which I like. But now I prefer inshore races.”
Despite Pasabant’s extensive sailing CV over the years he has also managed to maintain a career as an English teacher. “I considered seriously giving up teaching and just becoming a sailor, but I wasn’t sure I was good enough. But at present I can go to any regatta and fit that in around my teaching schedule. My students understand this," he says in perfect English.
Pasabant now lives slightly inland from La Coruña near his school in Virxe da Cela in the Monfero area. This is a rural community right on the extremity of Spain, where Pasabant's cosmopolitan sailing exploits make him something of a local celebrity. As a teacher he hopes his antics act as a source of inspiration to his secondary school students as much as his teaching them English. "They know what I do. They ask me about it and if I win I make a special call to them and I do interviews, etc." He would like to have brought his students to Baiona but admits he wouldn't have been able to give them enough attention while fulfilling his duties with Peninsula Racing.
However there is even more to the remarkable Pasabant than this. He is also 2nd Dan Black Belt in karate, and says he is intending to graduate up to 3rd Dan next year. He is also Galician archery champion (and 4th in Spain). One would not want to be a Montfero wild boar. He also shoots and mountain bikes - among other activities that lead to a very full garage.
Back to the RC44 and Pasabant says that Peninsula Racing is today much more than just a sailing team. Having sailed together for so longer they are friends and he very much prefers this versus a team which is a cold conglomerate of hired professionals. "I consider it to be family, sailing with a group of friends even though we may be professional in our approach. I think it makes us perform a little bit better."
Of the RC44 itself, Pasabant is a big fan. "I think it is one of the best boats. They perform differently to any other boat. They are great fun to sail and very complicated to sail well. So you need good crew members. The way the owners sail them, they have raised the level, so it is amazing now. It is now some of the top sailing in world, alongside the TP52."
On board Pasabant used to be a grinder but today his role is as floater, a safe pair of hands that fits in where needed. Today the RC44 is his main sailing although he regularly races in the J/70 and J/80 fleets which remain exceeding popular in Spain. Due to his teaching commitments he was unable to compete in the J/80 Worlds when they were held here in Baiona last year.
As to his fellow team mates, he says of John Bassadone: "John is one of the best owners I have ever had. I say ‘owner’ but he is really captain of a team of top sailors who are friends. Obviously he wants to win and if he is on the wheel he is competitive. But otherwise he is a nice person. And Vasco (Vascotto - Peninsula Racing's tactician) – you are never bored with him on board!"
They have been joined this year by Olympic Gold medallist Jordi Calafat. He was part of the same Telefonica team as Pasabant when he sailed in the Volvo Ocean Race. "He has changed some things and he is very good on the sails and the performance. It is a dream sailing with him and Vasco - they compliment each others as characters."