Margaux, sailor and engineer: a portrait of the sea and competition

My name is Margaux, I’m 28 and I’m a sailor. At the same time, I work as a start-up engineer for the CNRS. I started sailing competitively at the age of 14, and haven’t really stopped since. For the past year, I’ve been devoting myself to ocean racing. I bought a boat, a mini 6.50, to take part in races, notably the Mini Transat, a solo race without assistance.

Ocean racing is a rather unique sport. It combines adventure and competition. You take part in races that last from 1.5 days to 15 days, like the Atlantic crossing. During this time, you’re alone on the boat, whether it’s day or night, with little or lots of wind. It’s a real challenge: you give your all to be the best.
What I love is the richness and variety of this discipline. It’s both physical, because the boat is always on the move and the maneuvers are intense, and strategic, because you have to read the weather, anticipate, and always be one step ahead. Finally, there’s the mental aspect, because in a race lasting several days, you have to stay on course, stay focused, and never give up to win every meter.

I grew up near Paris, but my parents were passionate about boats. We often went on vacation to Brittany for cruises. It was thanks to my older sister and her friends that I started sailing, joining a club in Enghien-les-Bains. I started out racing a dinghy, the Open Bic, before quickly moving on to the 420.
In the beginning, it was complicated, as I had a long way to go compared to other kids who had started earlier. But with hard work, I progressed and joined the Le Havre training center with my partner. Together, we took part in three world championships and a European youth championship. In 2015, we finished in the top 10 at the world championships.
To reconcile studies and sport, I enrolled at INSA Rouen in a high-level sports section. I continued with 420 and then match racing, a discipline in which two crews compete in a duel. I was at the helm, and this enabled me to sail on the international circuit, with stopovers in Europe, Shanghai and the US Virgin Islands.
When the Covid arrived, it was also the end of my studies. I took a course in project management and innovation in Paris before starting my professional life. But the desire to reinvest myself in a sporting project soon returned. I discovered the mini 6.50s, and that was it. In August 2023, I bought my boat and took part in my first season in 2024. I had some great moments, with a victory, two podiums, and sailing in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. I even crossed between Palma de Majorca and Melilla, on the Moroccan coast.

There are plenty of them, but the magic moments remain those when, in the middle of a race, we witness a sunset or sunrise with incredible colors, or when a dolphin appears next to the boat. These moments remind us just how lucky we are.

I do physical preparation to be in shape for the races. I’ve also taken up kitesurfing, but I don’t have enough time to do it regularly. I’d also like to do more skiing in the future.

My big project is the Mini Transat, a solo, unassisted Atlantic crossing on the smallest ocean-racing boats, the Mini 6.50s. It’s a two-stage race: the first to the Canaries, then the long crossing to Guadeloupe, starting in Les Sables-d’Olonne.
You have to manage everything yourself: there are no means of communication, apart from a limited-range radio for brief exchanges with nearby competitors. This race is a real springboard for professional ocean racing. It opens the door to projects on bigger boats, such as the Figaro or Class40.
In 2024, I have validated all the qualifications and minimum requirements for the Mini Transat. However, sometimes there are more candidates than places, so I’m hoping to take part in 2025, otherwise it’ll be 2027. Right now, I’m looking for sponsors to help me make this dream come true.
As a competitor, my objective is clear: to perform. In 2023, out of 90 participants, there were 13 women, but no woman has ever won this race. This motivates me even more: it would be incredible to change that!