• Home
• Skippers
• IMOCA Races
• About the Class
• IMOCA Rules
• Boats for Sale
• Contact

IMOCA BUSINESS CLUB

Armel Le Cleac'h

Born on 11th May 1977 in Saint Pol de Léon (Brittany, France)
Lives in Gouesnac'h (Brittany, France)
IMOCA Skipper since 2006

www.voile.britair.com


  Born and bred on the Morlaix Bay, northern Brittany, Armel Le Cléac’h has spent his childhood cruising with his family. At school, he sailed Optimists while experiencing many other sports (football, archery, table tennis…), and reached national level before moving on to the 420 Olympic dinghy, and crewing for his brother Gaël aboard his Figaro. After a physics diploma, Armel came back to his bunch of friends from the Bay of Morlaix (Jérémie Beyou, Nicoals Troussel…) and captured a second place in the Telegramme singlehanded race.


In 1999, he won the Challenge Espoir (a programme for young talents, giving access to a funded Figaro season) and the next year, finished second in the famous Solitaire du Figaro – a staggering result for such a young skipper. This achievement naturally gave Armel a place on the professional scene, and he broadened his horizons, sailing Figaro One-Designs but also embarking with Marc Guillemot for various multihull races.


Given the helm of the Foncia trimaran in 2005, he suffered a tough capsize in the Transat Jacques Vabre, during which his co-skipper Damian Foxall got badly injured – Armel then decided to move on to the IMOCA class, and aboard Seb Josse’s former VMI (today Akena Vérandas) took a very creditable 4th place in the 2006 Route du Rhum. Armel spent the wole winter preparing and fine-tuning his new Finot-designed Brit Air Open 60.


Results

- 2008: 2nd of The Artemis Transat 2008
- 2007: 7th of the Transat Jacques Vabre aboard Brit Air 60
- 2006: 4th of the Route du Rhum aboard Brit Air 60, 5th of the Solitaire Affelou Le Figaro, 4th of the Transat AG2R Concarneau - Saint Barthélemy with Nicolas Troussel aboard Figaro BRIT AIR
- 2005 : 2nd of the Grand Prix de Fécamp, 4th of the Grand Prix de Lorient, 2nd of the Giraglia Rolex Cup, 4th of the IB Group Challenge aboard Trimaran FONCIA
- 2004: Winner of the Transat AG2R Lorient - Saint-Barthélemy with Nicolas Troussel / Figaro, 5th of the ORMA championship aboard trimaran FONCIA, 4th of the Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro ( Stage victory ), 6th of the Transat Québec – Saint-Malo aboard trimaran FONCIA
- 2003: Winner of the French Figaro Championship / Figaro, Winner of the Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro, 3rd of the Route du Ponant / Figaro, 4th of The Générali Méditerranée / Figaro, 4th of the Match Racing French Championship
- 2002: 10th of the French Figaro Championship / Figaro, 3rd of the ORMA Multihull Championship, 5th of the Route du Ponant / Figaro, 17th of La Solitaire du Figaro, 5th of the Générali Méditerranée / Figaro
- 2001: Winner of the Tour de France à la Voile / Mumm 30, 2nd of the Trophée BPE Saint-Nazaire - Dakar with Nicolas Troussel / Figaro, 6th of the French Figaro Championship, 7th of the Générali Méditerranée – Porquerolles, 4th of the Tour de Bretagne à la Voile, 15th of La Solitaire du Figaro
- 2000/1999: Winner of the Challenge Espoir Crédit Agricole, 2nd of La Solitaire du Figaro and 1st « Freshman », 2nd of the Solo Le Télégramme, 4th of the National Melges 24


Press Contact: Anne Lebour at an.lebour@britair.fr

Back to Race News