There is a historic Italian company aboard almost every boat in the Vendée Globe

Did you know that there is an Italian company (with a nearly century-old tradition) that is aboard almost all of the IMOCA 60s that are tackling the tenth edition of the Vendée Globe, the toughest race around the world(which GdV is following closely), solo non-stop and unassisted passing the three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn starting and arriving at Les Sables d’Olonne)?

Gottifredi Maffioli at Vendée Globe

In fact, Gottifredi Maffioli is, once again, the regatta’s supplier of choice: the Novara-based company supplies the one-design bow and stern unidirectional filament ropes that, especially thanks to the use of Dyneema, offer high performance combined with high reliability in the most extreme conditions, which are key features in this competition. As for lines, more than half the fleet relies on Gottifredi Maffioli, choosing products from the Grand Prix range, which are specially designed to ensure reliability and high breaking loads.

From Novara to the world’s oceans

Gottifredi Maffioli has been a major player in the Vendée Globe for years, as well as in all oceanic classes: from official suppliers of the last two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race, to holders of the Jules Verne record six times, and winners of Atlantic races such as the Transat Jacques Vabre and Route du Rhum. Says Luigi Maffioli, Technical Director of Gottifredi Maffioli: ”

The Vendée Globe is a race that pushes sailors and suppliers of the various on-board equipment to give their best, ensuring the best performance even in the most demanding situations during this solo circumnavigation of the globe. The level of complexity of today’s boats has required a specific effort by our entire technical development team to identify the right solutions for the performance of this new generation of IMOCA 60 “.

Rossella Maffioli, commercial director of Gottifredi Maffioli, continues, “For us, the ocean has always been a proving ground for testing the reliability of our products, and this year’s Vendée sees us involved with the class through our French distributor. This is a testament to the confidence the French ocean community places in the work we have been doing together for years. The results of these developments then find repercussions in the recreational boat products we market around the world “.

The story of Gottifredi Maffioli

The Italian company, founded in 1926 in Novara, Italy, where it is still headquartered today, produces excellent quality ropes with applications in the marine and industrial sectors. In 1954 it supplied the first synthetic Nylon ropes for the successful Italian expedition to K2. Its nautical ropes have contributed to numerous victories in international regattas and the winning of several Olympic medals. With a strong ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) approach, the company has a team equally divided between men and women, and a strict equal pay policy. Through the use of advanced technologies and meticulous quality control, Gottifredi Maffioli is a “rope boutique” that guarantees tailored solutions to achieve top performance.