35 years in offshore racing
Marc Guillemot, born on June 25, 1959 in Quimper, is one of France’s leading offshore racing skippers from the 1990s to 2010s. Starting in the Figaro circuit in the 1980s, he then competed in ORMA 60 multihull class and later in IMOCA 60 class. His career took him to all the major offshore events: Vendée Globe, Route du Rhum, Transat Jacques-Vabre, Transat AG2R.
Summary of achievements
- Vendée Globe 2008–2009: 3rd place on Safran (84 days)
- IMOCA World Champion 2009
- Transat Jacques-Vabre 2007 and 2009: double victory with Charles Caudrelier-Bénac on Safran
- Transat AG2R 2002: victory in double-handed racing with Yann Eliès
- Jules Verne Trophy 2010: attempt aboard the trimaran Groupama 3 (crew Franck Cammas)
- Route du Rhum: 5 participations between 1986 and 2010
- Vendée Globe 2008–2009: also known for taking part in the rescue of Yann Eliès in the Southern Ocean
- Vendée Globe 2012: retired on Day 1 (keel failure on Safran, helicopter evacuation)
- New York to Barcelona Transat 2014: retired due to injury (broken rib during a sail change)
- Knight of the National Order of Merit (2009)
The Safran adventure (2007–2014)
Marc Guillemot initiated the Safran project in late 2005: he approached the VPLP design office with Guillaume Verdier to design a new IMOCA, then convinced the Safran industrial group to sponsor the campaign. Seven years of racing together, marked by a Vendée Globe podium, two wins at the Transat Jacques-Vabre, and a world title—before the end of the 2012 Vendée Globe and his definitive retirement due to injury in 2014.
Today
Marc Guillemot is now a project leader at Team Sailing Organisation Guillemot (TSOG), his organization based in La Trinité-sur-Mer, with a strong commitment to mentoring young skippers (notably the “Duo Mixte” project launched in 2019, mentoring Cassandre Blandin and Matthieu Damerval on Figaro).
