Morgan Lagravière (Safran)
At 29 years old, Morgan Lagravière will try to climb on the podium of the Vendée Globe for her first participation. Originally from Reunion Island, he left his island at the age of 17 to follow the sport and sailing studies program. He made his debut in light sailing and then in the Olympic series before making a quick passage, but noticed in the Figaro circuit, winning two podiums in three seasons in the Solitaire. As comfortable on the coastal course as he is offshore, he applied to Safran in 2013 to take over Marc Guillemot's torch.
In love with sliding, he spends a maximum of his free time on the water: kitesurfing, J80, Moth foil, paddle or windsurfing in the bay of Quiberon. Unlike François Gabart or Armel le Cléac'h, he does not have an engineering background and describes himself as more attached to the sensitive and intuitive aspect of navigation. After building his project with Marc Guillemot's company, Morgan continued it with Kaïros, Roland Jourdain's structure. Two heroes of the Vendée Globe for successive mentors, that's a promise.
Paul Meilhat (ADM)
At 34 years old, Paul Meilhat is part of the rising generation of ocean racing and will start the 2016 Vendée Globe aboard the defending IMOCA (Macif 2012). Coming from light sailing and the Olympic series, he has been able to make this past of pure regatta sailor grow off the coast, passing through the Figaro Bénéteau hut, since 2008. The following year, he made a name for himself in the Solitaire du Figaro, with a second place as a newcomer. Then he struck a major blow in 2014 by winning the Transat AG2R and confirmed with a 5th place in the Solitaire.
He quickly moved to the IMOCA 60-foot boat when SMA entrusted him with the helm of the most coveted "second-hand" boat of all, the one with which François Gabart won the last edition (2012-2013). To start his first round the world race, Paul took advantage of the experience of the two-time winner Michel Desjoyeaux and the Mer Agitée team. After his accident on the Transat St Barth/Port-La-Forêt, he bounced back to finish 4th in The Transat and then in the New York/Vendée in the spring of 2016. An outsider to be taken seriously!
Fabrice Amedeo (Newrest-Matmut)
This will be the first participation of the 38-year-old skipper, who works in "real life" as a journalist (Figaro). He discovered the sea through family sailing on a small 22-foot boat. Since then, he has returned to the water every holiday. After having studied IRC races, Fabrice Amédéo went through the Figaro and Class 40.
He decided to get involved in the Vendée Globe when he was writing a book on the Volvo Ocean Race with Sébastien Josse. He took a two-year sabbatical and regatta in IMOCA: Transat Jacques Vabre 2015, in double with Eric Péron, then two solo transatlantic races. His goal: to finish, while taking part in the game of the planetary regatta and sharing his adventure.
Thomas Ruyant (Le Souffle du Nord for the Imagine Project)
His victories in the Mini Transat in 2009 and the Route du Rhum in Class40 in 2010, - an unprecedented double in major solo events - propelled the young sailor to the ranks of the rising figures in ocean racing. Thomas has not rested on his laurels and has pursued a career that has led him to the gate of the Vendée Globe, the race of his dreams. At 15, the North sailor took part in his first regattas, in Laser, before discovering the open sea. His journey in the 2007 Mini Transat was full of difficulties, but Thomas never gave up and completed the course.
We know the rest, this remarkable double in 2009-2010, not to mention his victories in many preparation races in Mini 6.50 and Class40. Passionate about the technical development of boats, he dreams of sailing in IMOCA. In the meantime, he has expanded his range of navigators by completing three seasons in the Figaro. His first IMOCA race is promising as he finished 4th in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2015 with Adrien Hardy. At 35 years old and for his first participation, Thomas wants above all to finish the race... but in the first place.
Alan Roura (A Vendée for Switzerland)
At 23, the Swiss sailor - who will be competing in the Vendée Globe for the first time - will also be the youngest. After a childhood sailing on Lake Geneva, he grew up on the Atlantic and Pacific. At 13, he stopped school to learn at the school of life: shipyards in South America, maintenance of luxury yachts and charters in Tahiti, tinsmith's shop in Granada, this all-rounder forged a temperament well tempered, watered by an unfailing passion for the sea handed down from father to son. In 2012, he arrived in Brittany with the ambition of getting involved in the Mini Transat. Bet held in the year of his 20th birthday.
With the smallest budget in the fleet, Alan finished 11th in the most initiatory of the transatlantic races. The following year, he took part in the Route du Rhum, aboard a Class40 which he had prepared with all the energy and energy of his youth despite limited resources. A damage in the Bay of Biscay reduced his hopes of crossing to zero. The blow was hard, but he bounced back by finishing the Transat Jacques Vabre 2015, still in Class40, then completing his first solo transatlantic race in IMOCA, between Lanzarote and Newport.
Eric Bellion (As one man)
Eric Bellion, 40 years old, made a name for himself by completing a round the world trip, the "Kifouine Challenge" by the three capes on a small Spartan sailboat of 8.60 m at the age of 22 years. It will continue with two other meaningful projects: the Integration Challenge (mixed crew valid/disabled) and Team Jolokia (mixed crew). With a great experience of round the world sailing, but not solo, Eric Bellion has been actively preparing for his first Vendée Globe in the Agitated Sea team of a certain Michel Desjoyeaux.
Didac Costa (One Planet One Ocean)
This 35-year-old sailor from Barcelona is a professional firefighter and discovers offshore sailing thanks to family cruises. As a teenager, he took a passion for solo sailing and started sailing dinghies, then the Mini class (Mini-Transat in 2011).
This experience made him want to turn to more powerful and faster boats: the IMOCAs. He has already completed a round the world trip aboard one of these 60-foot monohulls, the Barcelona World Race 2014-2015, raced with his accomplice Aleix Gelabert (4 he rear concave tends to propel the hull forward, thus reducing overall drag place with a 2000 boat). On this edition, which he will be attempting for the first time, the same result will be impossible with a boat of this generation, but his first objective will be to complete his round the world voyage.
