The engineer behind Watt&Sea, winner of the Vendée Globe 2020-2021
Yannick Bestaven, born on December 28, 1972 in Saint-Nazaire, is an offshore racer and co-founder ofWatt&Sea (La Rochelle), the company that brought hydrogenerators to market, now adopted by nearly the entire IMOCA fleet. His sporting and entrepreneurial paths have advanced in parallel for twenty years.
Vendée Globe 2020-2021: victory by time compensation
On January 28, 2021, Bestaven crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe in 3rd place onMaître CoQ IV (formerlySafran II). The time compensation of10 h 15 min, awarded for his detour to assist Kevin Escoffier (whose IMOCAPRB broke in two in the Southern Ocean), declared him the winner in80 d 3 h 44 min 46 s — ahead of Charlie Dalin and Louis Burton.
Maître CoQ V: a new Verdier-designed boat for the 2024 VG
With his victory, Bestaven commissioned a new IMOCA —Maître CoQ V, design byGuillaume Verdier, built byCDK Technologies (Port-la-Forêt), launched in August 2022. The boat is derived from the 11th Hour Mālama mold, reworked for single-handed racing (ballast, canopy, cockpit).
Vendée Globe 2024-2025: retirement due to rudder failure
Bestaven started the Vendée Globe 2024-2025 to defend his title. On December 30, 2024,he retired due to rudder failure — early end of the race for the defending champion. The competition was won by Charlie Dalin.
Watt&Sea: engineering for autonomy
Co-founder ofWatt&Sea, Bestaven directly contributed to the development of hydrogenerators. The product is now a standard for energy autonomy on IMOCA, Ultim, and Class40 ocean racing boats.
Career highlights
- 2001 Mini Transat — winner in the Mini 6.50 proto class onAquarelle.com.
- Vendée Globe 2008-2009 — retired after dismasting in the Bay of Biscay.
- 2011 Transat Jacques Vabre — winner in Class40 with Éric Drouglazet.
- 2015 Transat Jacques Vabre — winner in Class40 with Pierre Brasseur.
- Vendée Globe 2020-2021 — winner onMaître CoQ IV in 80 d 3 h 44 min 46 s (10 h 15 min time compensation for assisting Kevin Escoffier).
- Vendée Globe 2024-2025 — retired on December 30, 2024 due to rudder failure (Maître CoQ V).
