Twenty-two years with Team Actual, from the Mini 6.50 to the Ultim
Yves Le Blévec raced under Actual’s colors from 2001 to 2023, never changing teams. He competed in every offshore racing class during this period: Mini 6.50 at the start at age 35, Multi50 in the 2000s–2010s, then Ultim from 2016 onward. A longevity with a single team that has no equivalent in the sport.
From the Mini-Transat to ocean racing
Born on July 15, 1965, in Palaiseau, he switched late to offshore racing: his first Mini-Transat was in 2001, at age 35. The same year, he won the Transgascogne 6.50 in proto class. In 2007 he raced the Transgascogne and the Transat 6.50 La Rochelle–Salvador, which he also won in proto.
Between these two events, he sailed as crew on Bruno Peyron’s maxi-catamarans: Orange in 2002 (Jules Verne Trophy in 64d 8h 37m, crew world-record at the time), then Orange II in 2005 (50d 16h 20m). Not skipper on these records, but crew—one of the thirteen.
Multi50 Actual: the decade of reference
On the Multi50 trimaran in Actual colors, this was the densest period of his career. Transat Québec–Saint-Malo in 2008 with Franck-Yves Escoffier, triple win at the Grand Prix de Douarnenez + Tour de Belle-Île + Vendée–Saint-Petersburg in 2010, Transat Jacques-Vabre 2011 with Samuel Manuard. He finished 4th in the 2014 Route du Rhum in Multi50, then switched to Ultim two years later.
The knockdown at Cape Horn
In 2016 he moved to Ultim Actual and finished 3rd in his first singlehanded Transat. The following year, he attempted the solo round-the-world record the wrong way (east to west). On the night of December 13–14, 2017, off Cape Horn, a crossbeam failed and the trimaran capsized. Helicopter rescue by the Chilean navy, boat lost. Team Actual later bought the ex-Macif to build Actual Ultim 3.
He came back: 3rd in the Brest Atlantiques 2019 with Alex Pella and Ronan Gladu, 4th in the Transat Jacques-Vabre 2021 with Anthony Marchand, 2nd in the Rolex Fastnet Race the same year, 5th in the Route du Rhum 2022 on Actual Ultim 3.
The handover in 2023
In January 2023, at age 57, he retired from racing and took over as director of Team Actual. Anthony Marchand became skipper of Actual Ultim 3. The sailing project continued; he moved to the other side of the operation.
Career highlights
- 2001 — 1st Transgascogne 6.50 (proto)
- 2002 — Jules Verne Trophy crew on Orange (skipper Bruno Peyron): 64d 8h 37m, crew world-record at the time
- 2005 — Jules Verne Trophy crew on Orange II (skipper Bruno Peyron): 50d 16h 20m
- 2007 — 1st Transat 6.50 La Rochelle–Salvador (proto) and 1st Transgascogne 6.50 (proto)
- 2008 — 1st Transat Québec–Saint-Malo in Multi50 Actual with Franck-Yves Escoffier
- 2010 — 1st Grand Prix de Douarnenez, 1st Tour de Belle-Île, 1st Vendée–Saint-Petersburg in Multi50
- 2011 — 1st Transat Jacques-Vabre in Multi50 Actual with Samuel Manuard
- 2013 — 2nd Transat Jacques-Vabre in Multi50 with Kito de Pavant
- 2014 — 4th Route du Rhum in Multi50, 1st Armen Race
- 2016 — 3rd The Transat (singlehanded English Transat) on Ultim Actual
- 2017 — Capsize off Cape Horn (Dec 13–14) during solo round-the-world record attempt the wrong way, crossbeam failure, Chilean navy helicopter rescue, boat lost
- 2019 — 3rd Brest Atlantiques on Ultim with Alex Pella and Ronan Gladu
- 2021 — 4th Transat Jacques-Vabre with Anthony Marchand, 2nd Rolex Fastnet Race
- 2022 — 5th Route du Rhum on Actual Ultim 3
- 2023 — End of racing career, takes over as director of Team Actual
