| Age | 50 (7/20/72) |
|---|---|
| Top performance | Finisher of three Vendée Globe (2008, 2012, 2016) |
| Joined Imoca on | 2007 |
| Team | La Mie Caline |
| Base | Les Sables d'Olonne (FRANCE) |
| Partners | La Mie Câline, Artipôle, Cap Piscines |
Yachtsmen always wish they were sailing offshore yet not a day goes by without them talking about the waters on which they had their first sailing experiences. For Arnaud Boissières, these waters are in Arcachon and its well-known bay. He is funny, nice and open which, along with his availability, is appealing and comes as a reminder that you can be a very serious skipper without taking yourself too seriously. The yachtsman, who is seen as an ideal buddy, was immediately welcome in the offshore racing world and nicknamed “Cali”, half-tenderly and half-amusedly.
But there is a lot more to Boissières than all that as he is also a stubborn and ambitious yachtsman. He learnt offshore sailing from some of the best skippers such as Yves Parlier or Catherine Chabaud who trusted him their own boats. He naturally likes to go for things and will never give up. After dismasting in the 1999 Mini Transat, he not only managed to save his boat after a stop in France but he also finished the race. Cali sailed with champions like Olivier de Kersauson in his round-the-world record attempt before making a name for himself in solo races.
In 2008, at the age of 36, he participated in his first Vendée Globe and finish seventh. Even though sailing specialists all agreed on how great his human qualities were, very few expected such a performance from a man who was virtually but soon became one of the favourites of the public, who appreciates his good humor and his availaibility. With a circumnavigation, six transatlantic races and thousands of nautical miles of training, Boissières has become one of the most experienced skippers in the world.
In 2012, Arnaud finished 8th in the Vendée Globe. And he repeats the experience on the following editions, in 2016 and then in 2020, where he finished 10th and 15th respectively.
In 2021, he took over the helm of the former Initiatives-Coeur, a VPLP-Verdier design from 2010 equipped with new foils, and took part in all the IMOCA GLOBE SERIES races in order to prepare himself as well as possible for his fifth solo round-the-world race. He finished 17th in the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe.
In 2023, the skipper from Arcachon will line up in the double-handed races of the season accompanied by Gerard Veniard.
2023 : Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - 7th
2022: Route du Rhum - 17th
2022: Vendée Arctique - Retired
2022: Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - 12th
2021: Transat Jacques Vabre - 16th
2021: Défi Azimut - Lorient Agglomération - 11th
| Name | LA MIE CÂLINE |
|---|---|
| Sail number | FRA 14 |
| Architect | VPLP - Verdier |
| Construction | 2010, CDK Technologies, Port La Forêt |
| Former names | Foncia 2, Banque Populaire, Maître CoQ, Initiatives-Coeur |
| Length | 18,28 m |
|---|---|
| Beam | 5,9 m |
| Draught | 4,5 m |
| Weight | 8,5 tonnes |
| Mast height | 29 m |
| Mast type | Wing mast |
| Foils | Yes |
| Sail area max. | |
| Upwind | 280 m2 |
| Downwind | 600 m2 |
This Sunday 7 May at 14:00 hours local time, the fourth edition of the Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race Brest – Brest kicked off from the Brest Narrows exit. Propelled along by a 5 to 8-knot W’ly wind, the thirteen duos enjoye…
•••Arnaud Boissières (La Mie Câline) crossed the finish line of the twelfth edition of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe at 08:52:20 UTC on Wednesday 23rd November.
•••The wind came into Martinique late into the morning, welcoming Arnaud and Rodolphe into the port. The Transat was both a new experience for Rodolphe as it was for Arnaud: their relationship grew over the course of the ra…
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