Paul
MEILHAT

Beyond his career as a skipper and competitor, Paul Meilhat dedicates his commitment to scientific and educational causes. He contributes to oceanographic data collection on plankton in remote areas, thus supporting scientific research. At the same time, through L’Échappée Bleue, he introduces children to sailing over several months while raising their awareness about the preservation of aquatic environments.

In April 2014, Paul Meilhat achieved his first major victory by winning the Transat AG2R La Mondiale alongside Gwénolé Gahinet. This success marked a turning point: he caught the attention of the SMA group and had a promising season in the Figaro, finishing 4th in the Championnat de France Élite de Course au Large en Solitaire.

In 2015, Meilhat took a major step forward by joining the IMOCA circuit. After a year of learning, he built on his performance, securing two 4th places in the New York-Vendée and The Transat Bakerly. However, in the Vendée Globe, while he was in the top three, a keel ram failure after 52 days at sea forced him to retire.

Returning from this experience transformed, he enjoyed a prolific season in 2017. With Gwénolé Gahinet, he piled up victories: the ArMen Race, Rolex Fastnet Race, Défi Azimut, and a remarkable 2nd place in the Transat Jacques Vabre, competing against the best foilers on the circuit.

The following year, he stood out again by winning the Monaco Globe Series and, above all, the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, a remarkable achievement considering his boat was not equipped with foils. But by the end of the year, his partnership with SMA ended, and Meilhat had to go back in search of new sponsors.

He quickly bounced back. After sailing double-handed with Samantha Davies and Charlie Dalin, he was crowned IMOCA Champion in 2021. He then set his sights on a full program: The Ocean Race 2023, followed by the Vendée Globe 2024. "It’s a big dream for me to do this race," he said about The Ocean Race. "Sailing with an incredible boat, traveling the world, sharing this adventure with as many people as possible... That’s the very essence of sailing."

In 2022, he found a new partner in Biotherm and launched the construction of a state-of-the-art IMOCA, designed by Guillaume Verdier. Barely launched, he finished 6th in the Route du Rhum. In January 2023, he set off on The Ocean Race and finished 4th overall after a crewed round-the-world race. Upon returning to Lorient, he followed up with the Défi Azimut and the Transat Jacques Vabre, racing with Mariana Lobato. However, a mainsail tear off the Breton coast prematurely ended their adventure.

On the start line of the Vendée Globe 2024, the solo round-the-world race, Paul Meilhat was one of the outsiders capable of surprising, thanks to his 2022 Verdier design, which had been fine-tuned after The Ocean Race. However, the race would not be easy for the skipper, who ultimately finished in 5th place. After a challenging climb up the Atlantic, marked by a broken J2 stay—crucial for the stability of his mast—Paul demonstrated resilience to finish just behind the top contenders on the circuit.

In 2025, he announces that he will take part in The Ocean Race Europe, still sailing under the Biotherm colors.