Tanguy fell into sailing as a child. Originally from Istres, he moved to Vannes at a very young age, where his father, who gave sailing lessons, took him sailing on a caravel in the Gulf of Morbihan.
His passion for the sea has grown over the years, but everything changed in 2003 when his father crossed the Atlantic for the first time in the Mini Transat on a support boat. With his merchant navy studies almost complete, Tanguy took to the water and decided to make his dream come true by buying his first boat, a POGO 2, with his savings and those of his family. He was 21 years old.
Attracted by sailing but also by competition and the physical and psychological challenge it represents, he entered ocean racing in 2011 with no money, but very motivated and determined. 6th in his first Mini Transat in 2013, he has only one desire: to continue the adventure. His way of communicating allows him to be noticed and to stand out. Crowned French Mini 6.50 Champion in 2014, he trumps all the podiums in all the races he takes part in and starts to make a name for himself in the industry. 3rd in the Mini Transat 6.50 in 2015, Tanguy, crowned French Mini 6.50 Champion for the 2nd consecutive year, revises his ambitions upwards and decides to make his passion his profession.
Tanguy then entered the Figaro circuit in 2016 and lined up for the first time at the start of the Solitaire du Figaro in 2017, on which he finished third rookie. He continued his adventure in this circuit and joined the IMOCA Class in 2021 alongside Denis Van Weinbergh for the Transat Jacques Vabre before returning to his own 60-foot boat, the former APICIL Group, in 2022 for the 2024 Vendée Globe.
He finished 13th in the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, carrying the colours of the Lazare association in his sail.
After a promising 2022 season, Tanguy Le Turquais is more than motivated for 2023. In November, after a delayed start to the Transat Jacques Vabre due to stormy weather, Tanguy and his co-skipper Félix de Navacelle hit a UFO just a few hours after setting off from Le Havre. Forced to make a stopover in Lorient, the two sailors set off again six days later, aiming to be in Martinique before the finish line closed. And they arrived in Fort-de-France... 8 hours before the finish line closed! The skipper of Lazare did not stop in his exploits, as he set sail again just 10 hours later for the Return to Base, which he finished in 20th place. On arriving at the pontoon in Lorient, having sailed brilliantly up the fleet, he exclaimed: "We've proved that we can win without finishing first!
With his pink IMOCA bearing the colors of the Lazare association, Tanguy sets off on the solo round-the-world race with the goal of making the invisible homeless visible. Mission accomplished for the skipper in the Vendée Globe, where he finishes 17th overall and 2nd among the fin keel IMOCA, just 17 minutes behind the leader, Benjamin Ferré, with whom he battled for half the globe.
2021: Solitaire du Figaro - 14th
| Name | LAZARE |
|---|---|
| Sail number | FRA 1000 |
| Architect | Finot - Conq |
| Construction | 2007, Multiplast, Vannes |
| Former names | DCNS, Comme Un Seul Homme, Groupe APICIL |
| Length | 18,28 m |
| Beam | 5,85 m |
| Draught | 4,5 m |
| Weight | 8,5 tonnes |
| Mast height | 29 m |
| Mast type | Wing mast |
| Foils | No |
| Sail area max. | |
| Upwind | 350 m2 |
| Downwind | 610 m2 |
The 10th edition of the Vendée Globe will go down as one of the greatest in the race’s history, featuring more boats on the startline than ever before, more finishers than ever before, and an emphatic and record-breaking…
•••It will go down as one of the great battles in Vendée Globe history that featured a fun-filled but competitive “bromance” between two young French sailors who ended up finishing just 16 minutes apart.
•••On crossing the finish line this February 3 at 1137hrs UTC, after 84 days, 23 hours and 35 minutes of racing, Tanguy Le Turquais has made a dream come true: to complete his Vendée Globe.
•••
