Who is Yvan Bourgnon ?

French & Swiss Skipper

Yvan Bourgnon

Born on July 6, 1971 in Switzerland. His love affair with the sea dates from his earliest childhood. At the age of 8, he went around the world with his parents for four years and decided a few years later to live his passion: navigation.. 

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«”I am very happy to come back, see my loved ones and share this moment with them. I drooled more than I thought. The difficulties accumulated throughout the course. This Bimedia Challenge was for sure the most difficult of all the challenges made for 7 years on “My Louloutte”, my loyal sport catamaran “. ». 

Yvan Bourgnon

Interview le Figaro Sport, Défi le Passage du Nord Ouest

A high-level sportsman and a modern day Adventurer, Yvan is now dedicated to protecting the oceans by having invented the first deep-sea sailing boat capable of collecting plastic waste with his association: The Sea Cleaners.

Born on July 6, 1971 in Switzerland. His love affair with the sea dates from his earliest childhood. At the age of 8, he sailed around the world with his parents for four years and decided a few years later to live his passion: navigation.

He is passionate about multihulls, and travels the oceans for nearly 17 years on 60-foot ORMA multihulls (famous F1s of the seas)

1995 – 1st TRANSAT JACQUES VABRE

he won a trio never equaled: the Mini-Fastnet, the “Transgascogne”, and above all, the Mini-Transat. Yvan will then follow wins and records.

Along with his older brother Laurent, he won the 1997 Transat Jacques Vabre.

2001 – he becomes the record holder for the Channel Strait Challenge.

2002 –  during the Route du Rhum, when he capsized, Yvan remains five days on board refusing to abandon his returned boat.

2003 – he becomes Champion of France Formula 18 of the raids.

2005 – it beats the record of 24 hours: 610 miles. Absolute record in 60 feet, still unequaled.

2008  – Passage of Cape Horn in a sports catamaran with a loop of 450 miles and 60 hours on the water in inhuman conditions.

24h record in light sailing on a Nacra F20 carbon in Brazil.

He becomes 2012 European Champion on Catamaran Nacra and French Champion of the Catamaran Raids F18

It is sacred, the same year, Sportsman of High Level

2013 – he embarks on a personal and sports challenge considered “impossible” by his peers: he went around the world in a Sport Catamaran without cockpit and without GPS.

The incidents are numerous, the difficulties are at the limit of the bearable, but he succeeds his bet and closes his world tour on June 23, 2015 in Ouistreham (Normandy) after 230 days at sea.

It’s a success and a great first.

2017 – he achieved the feat of the Northwest Passage in a sports catamaran (Défi Bimedia)