IMOCA
France
© Olivier Blanchet / Maître CoQ
YannickBESTAVEN
Maître CoQ V
age
51 years old ( 28/12/1972)
Number of participations
3 races
About
An experienced offshore racer, Yannick has an extensive ocean record that was further completed in 2021 when he won the Vendée Globe. Born in Saint Nazaire, yet spent his childhood in Arcachon. He started sailing at a very young age. No sooner had he finished his engineering studies than Yannick became interested in competition and ocean racing. It was during a decisive meeting with Yves Parlier in 2000 that Yannick decided to take the plunge and entered the 2001 Minitransat, which he won. At the time, he was an engineer at the Port Autonome de Paris while making many round trips to Arcachon, where he had installed his 6.50m prototype. Talented and determined, he built his career combining his skipper's hat with that of managing his company. Challenge is the driving force behind his professional skipper career! Yannick is obviously motivated by sporting challenges, of course, yet he also draws a lot of energy from technological ones. The best example of this was replacing diesel fuel in his boat to improve his performance in the 2008 Vendée Globe. Trained as an engineer and keenly attuned to renewable energies, he co-developed a hydro-generator, which is a propeller immersed in the stern of the boat enabling sailing boats to be completely self-sufficient at sea. A talented company director: Watt&Sea Designing the hydro-generator marks the beginning of the entrepreneurial adventure. Alongside Matthieu Michou, a specialist in marine electricity, who joined him in this technical challenge, Yannick created Watt&Sea. This company developed the hydro generator in France and marketed it on the French yachting market and internationally from 2011. A man of strong convictions. Yannick actively supports ECHO-MER working to save the oceans and the Halte du cœur, an association specialising in redistributing unsold industrial goods for the benefit of people in precarious situations living in rural areas.
List of hits
Vendée Globe in 80days 03h 44m 46s
1
st
2021
Transat Jacques Vabre
1
st
2015
Transat Jacques Vabre
1
st
2011
Mini Transat
1
st
2001
Race of Europe
1
st
1999
© Antoine Dujoncquoy
The Route du Rhum is a fantastic, legendary transatlantic race. It always inspired my dreams. This is THE race that motivated me to take up ocean racing. A solitary sprint, yet one of the few multi-class races that enables one to rub elbows with all sorts of boats and skippers on the pontoon. A magical race in the wake of the great sailors inspiring young and old alike.
Who you really are ?
Star sign ?
Capricorn
Favorite freeze-dried food ?
I prefer dehydrated dishes and I'm pretty crazy about Turkey :-)
Favorite creole food or beverage ?
The Punch drink and creole chicken