Damien SEGUIN

IMOCA Globe Series7th
Points286 pts
Age44 (9/3/79)
Top performance3-time Paralympic Games medalists in 2.4mR, 5 world titles
Joined Imoca on2018
TeamGroupe APICIL
BaseLorient (FRANCE)
PartnersGroupe APICIL, Mutuelle Intégrance, Mutuelle MBTP, Gresham, Intencial, Veralti, One Life
CommitmentFounder of Feet and Hands for more access to water sports for people with disabilities

Profile

Born without his left hand, Damien Seguin still manages to combine two careers: one in Paralympic sailing, the other in offshore racing. Triple Paralympic medallist in the 2.4 mR (gold medal in Athens and Rio and a silver in Beijing) and fifth-time world champion in this discipline, Damien first got into offshore racing in 2005 via the Figaro.

The skipper then moved on to the Class40 (12-metre long monohull) and took part in a number of races: transatlantic races as well as two Route du Rhum races in 2010 and 2014... Determined and constantly looking to improve, the skipper, who for years has been able to convince people that his disability was not a hindrance to his immersion in the world of able-bodied sports, is now tackling a major challenge: the Vendée Globe.

Damien Seguin will have had a remarkable Vendée Globe in the 2020-2021 edition. The first to complete his round the world voyage in a straight daggerboard IMOCA boat and sixth in the general ranking, at the finish, the double Olympic champion declared: "I have always wanted my race to be a form of symbol, being a top level sportsman means, for me, being the showcase for his sport."Mission accomplished for Damien, who has proved that it is no longer a question of whether a disabled athlete can race in the Vendée Globe.

In 2022, Damien continued his good results on the IMOCA circuit, finishing 9th in the Vendée Arctique and the Guyader Bermuda 1000 Race. Unfortunately, during the famous Route du Rhum at the end of the year, Damien Seguin dismasted after being hit by a cargo ship, so he was forced to retire.

The skipper and the APICIL Group team then embarked on a major refit of the 2016-generation IMOCA to make her more competitive with a fleet that is constantly evolving technologically.

At the beginning of 2023, while his boat was being refitted, Paul Meilhat called him to take part in The Ocean Race on his IMOCA Biotherm. He accepted and sailed the first 3 legs, covering three quarters of a circumnavigation, from Alicante to Itajaí via the Deep South. The experience he gained was enormous, but the sailor didn't stop there. He will be sailing with Sam Davies, on the IMOCA Initiatives-Coeur, in the Guyader Bermuda 1000 Race, before putting his IMOCA back in the water in July and racing the season double-handed on his Groupe APICIL with Laurent Bourgues. He finished the season brilliantly in the Retour à La Base, where he finished 5th.

Sailing Highlights

2023 : Retour à La Base - 5th
2023 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 15th
2023 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 11th
2023 : Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - 5th
2022 : Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe - Abandon (démâtage)
2022 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 12th
2022 : Vendée Arctique - 9th
2022 : Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - 9th
2021 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 11th
2021 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 10th
2021 : Rolex Fastnet Race - 7th
2020-2021 : Vendée Globe - 7th
2020 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 10th
2020 : Vendée Arctique - Abandon
2019 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 14th
2019 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 5th
2019 : Rolex Fastnet Race - 16th
2019 : ArMen Race - 2nd
2019 : Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - 11th
2018 : Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe - 6th
2018 : Drheam-Cup 700 - 4th
2018 : Bermudes 1000 Race – Douarnenez / Cascais - 3rd
2009 : Transat Jacques Vabre - Abandon
Other highlights

2018: Bermudes 1000 Race - 3rd
2017: Tour de France à la Voile - 1st 
2016: Paralympic Games (Rio) 2.4 mR - Gold
2012: Paralympic Games (London) 2.4 mR - 4th
2008: Paralympic Games (Beijing) 2.4 mR - Silver
2004: Paralympic Games (Athens) 2.4 mR - Gold
5 World Champion Title in 2.4 mR (2015, 2012, 2007, 2005 and 2019)
22 World Cup victory titles in 2.4 mR

Boat

Name GROUPE APICIL
Sail numberFRA 13
ArchitectVPLP - Verdier
Construction2014, CDK Technologies, Port la Forêt
Former namesSAFRAN, Des voiles et vous, Maître CoQ IV
Length18,28 m
Beam5,80 m
Draught4,50 m
Weight8 tonnes
Mast height29 m
Mast typeWing mast
FoilsYes
Sail area max.
Upwind310 m2
Downwind550 m2
© Jean-Marie LIOT - www.jmliot.com
© Jean-Marie LIOT - www.jmliot.com
© Jean-Marie LIOT - www.jmliot.com
© R. Gladu / groupe APICIL
© Jean-Louis Carli
© Jean-Louis Carli