Pablo Gonzalez Parodi enters the Global Solo Challenge

by Marco Nannini / Global Solo Challenge 11 Feb 13:22 GMT

Pablo Gonzalez Parodi - Gyrophon - Akilaria RC2 Class40 © Marc Lombard

The Global Solo Challenge continues to attract passionate and determined sailors from around the world, and we are thrilled to welcome our 14th entrant, Pablo Gonzalez Parodi.

Born in Uruguay and now residing in Spring City, USA, Pablo is a highly experienced sailor with over 100,000 nautical miles under his belt. His lifelong passion for the sea, combined with his adventurous spirit, makes him a fantastic addition to the event.

A professional skipper, his sailing career spans from competitive racing to extensive offshore deliveries. His dream of solo circumnavigation began in his youth, inspired by legends of ocean sailing. A health scare in 2024 required him to undergo a (successful) open heart surgery which was a moment of reckoning and realisation that postponing lifelong dreams and ambitions may lead to regret.

For his campaign, Pablo has acquired Gryphon, a Class40 Akilaria RC2, a proven and well-built ocean racing yacht that has already completed two circumnavigations. With meticulous preparation ahead, he aims to push both himself and his boat to their limits as he takes on this demanding solo, nonstop round-the-world challenge.

We are excited to follow Pablo's journey and wish him the best as he prepares for the adventure of a lifetime. Welcome aboard, Pablo!

About the skipper:

Name: Pablo Gonzalez Parodi
Nationality: URY/USA
Lives: Spring City, USA
Born in: 1979
Miles sailed: 100.000+

Where does your passion for sailing come from?

I think there are many reasons. My grandfather was an adventurer himself, looking for oil in the 1950s from the northern plains of Argentina to the cold of south Patagonia. This is where my adventurer soul came from. I discovered sailing when I was 11, growing up a few blocks from the Yacht Club Uruguayo. Racing sailing quickly became my passion and I was in the water everyday making a living from this, doing deliveries and teaching at an early stage. I completed Maritime School and I was an All-Weather Master for ADES, a voluntary rescue institution in Uruguay, similar to the RNLI in England.

What lessons have you learnt from sailing?

It helps you to be more prepared for what is to come. You are in a hostile environment where things change rapidly and often at the worst moments. You learn how to navigate stress, be calm, trust in yourself and make the right decisions. Also, you make lots of friends of all ages. Sailing is a multigenerational sport, you can be sailing with three generations and all can be friends, which is great!

What brought you to like single-handed sailing?

I was intrigued when the BOC stopped in Punta del Este in 1995 and we went out to receive Auguin. Afterward I read "The Long Way" from Moitessier and I started dreaming about sailing solo. In the early 2000s I was planning to participate in the Mini-Transat Race, but life had different plans for me. In 2004, I crossed Patagonia in winter by bicycle. In 2005, I crossed South America and the Andes during winter in a bicycle, I have also climbed Mont Blanc twice, climbed Aconcagua and many other mountains, all solo. Since a teenager I always thought about circumnavigating single-handed. If you fail, you own it.

What prompted you to sign up for this event?

During a delivery in April 2024 from Palma to Ireland, moving a 250-kilo spinnaker with others from the forward cockpit to the foredeck, I almost fainted. We stopped in Vigo due to bad weather and I went to a cardiologist to see what was going on with my heart. I was diagnosed with a severe mitral valve regurgitation. I immediately returned home and went through open heart surgery within a month. Life is short, why not?

How do you plan to prepare for this event?

I already started preparations when I read Moitessier's book. However, the first sailing on the boat is going to be the delivery from Trinidad to the USA. I am planning to strip down the boat and get to know each and every corner. In 2026, the plan is to cross the pond as training, leave her in Spain for the summer, and sail back after the hurricane season.

I then plan todo a second major refit in the winter of 2026 to 2027, then crossing for the departure. I hope to get 10,000 miles of training on Gryphon before the start. It is also important for me to be in optimal physical shape.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge?

I think there will be two large challenges. Arriving at the start line in 2027 is a challenge in itself, then the southern ocean.

Tell us about your boat or the boat you would like to have.

I purchased the class 40 number 106 which was known as GryphonSolo2, now her name is Gryphon. This Akilaria RC2 has circumnavigated twice and was built to category Zero standards. She is well built with every detail properly thought-out, the cockpit, the interior andthe rigging set-up. If I am going to race, better to race on a fun boat!

Do you intend to link this personal challenge to a social cause?

After living through such an unsettling experience with my heart in 2024, I want to raise awareness to leave your comfort zone. Don't wait to do what you want!

Is there anything you would like to add?

I will be representing Uruguay in this challenge, the country I was born and where I learned to sail. I will be the first Uruguayan to be part of a solo non-stop circumnavigating event. I will also be representing my current home, the United States of America.

Sailing experience

I am a Yachtmaster for both sail and power with a commercial endorsement and also hold other maritime commercial certifications. For 15 years, I sailed anything with a mast and a sail that would float, until I jumped over to superyachts and my sailing career was put on hold. Now, I am returning to the essence. Sailing is a lifelong passion.