Owner-navigator passionate about crewed offshore racing
Xavier Bellouard is a French owner-navigator passionate about offshore racing and high-seas cruising. With his son Alexandre, they form a father-son duo who share the same passion for fast sailing and offshore competition. Xavier embodies a modern approach to sporty yachting: one that prioritizes the pleasure of going fast on the water and sharing experiences with a crew (family and friends), rather than optimizing rating at all costs. This philosophy is reflected in the choice of the Lift 45 Maxitude, a sailboat designed primarily for pleasure and comfort, which nevertheless proves to be remarkably performant in races.
Xavier Bellouard is convinced that the scow bow design (inverted bow with wide chines) represents the future of offshore racing, and chose the Marc Lombard design office to bring this vision to life on a 45-foot sailboat. Since Maxitude was launched in May 2025, Xavier and Alexandre have accumulated over 12,000 miles in 8 months, participating in prestigious races (Armen Race, Rolex Fastnet Race, Rolex Middle Sea Race, RORC Transatlantic Race) with convincing results. Their approach prioritizes crewed sailing, sharing the pleasure of speed, and exploring new destinations, perfectly embodying the cruiser-racer spirit of the Lift 45.
Maxitude's Track Record (2025-2026)
Rolex Fastnet Race 2025 : 7th place IRC1
Rolex Middle Sea Race 2025 : Participation
RORC Transatlantic Race 2026 : 3rd place IRC1, 4th overall, speed record 21.7 knots
