His name may not mean much to you, but he is well known in the world of ocean racing. Laurent, the former IMOCA Technical Director for a certain Thomas Ruyant, has set himself the challenge of lining up at the start of the Route du Rhum in 2026. Prior to that, he cut his teeth on a variety of boats, notably with Damien Seguin on the IMOCA Groupe Apicil.
After competing at a high level in the Laser class in Marseille, followed by a brief stint in the Mistral One Design windsurfing class, I discovered the Orma trimarans during a Grand Prix with Laurent Bourgnon, Loic Peyron, Paul Vatine and many other legendary skippers, and decided that one day I would work and sail on these incredible boats.
He moved to Brittany in 2003 to repair Yvan Bourgnon's trimaran, then joined the Gitana Team with Lionel Lemonchois, Fred Le Peutrec and Marc Guillemot and realised my dream of sailing on the famous Orma trimarans.
He developed a passion for ocean racing and took part in the Mini Transat in 2007 and 2009 on a prototype. He went on to co-skipper the 2010 Transat AG2R with Sébastien Picault and joined the Pôle Finistère Course au Large for the start of the Figaro 2 season in 2011.
Since then, he has been Boat Captain for Yves Leblevec, Tanguy Delamotte and Boris Hermann, then Technical Director for Thomas Ruyant on the IMOCA Le Souffle du Nord and then LinkedOut, winner of the last Transat Jacques Vabre and the last Route du Rhum.
After two Vendée Globe campaigns, he is once again a skipper, and first of all a double-handed one, as Damien Seguin has chosen him to be his co-skipper in 2023.
2022 : Solitaire du Figaro - 5th rookie
2022: Solo Maître Coq - 14th
2022 : Le Havre Allmer Cup - 21st
2022: Solo Concarneau Guy Cotten - 9th
2020 : Lorient Plastimo Mini 6.50 - 11th (with Audrey François-Debordeaux)
2013: Chrono 6.50 - Mini 6.50 - Winner
2013: Mini Fastnet - Mini 6.50 - 8th (with Giancarlo Pedote)
2013: Spi Ouest-France Intermarché - Open 7.50: 6th
2012: Armen Race - Winner (Ocean Fifty Actual)
2012: Grand Prix Guyader - 2nd (Ocean Fifty Actual)
2012: Tour de Belle-Île - 3rd (Ocean Fifty Actual)
2011: Solo Basse Normandie - 10th
2011: Solo Figaro Les Sables - 11th
2011: National Muscadet - Winner
2011: Mini Fastnet - Winner (with Nicolas Boidevezi)
2010: Transat AG2R - 13th
2009: Tour de France à la Voile - 13th (Farr 30)
2009: Mini Transat - 8th
2009: Mini Fastnet - 2nd
2009: Trophée Marie-Agnès Péron - 10th (Mini 6.50)
2009: Pornichet Sélect - 6th (Mini 6.50)
2008: Marseille - Alger Cup - 2nd
2008: Mini Fastnet - 6th
2008: Pornichet Sélect - 4th (Mini 6.50)
2007: Mini Transat - 27th