A mad talent, an iron will, a man raised in the roughness of North Brittany, Yann is one of those respected Breton sailors.
At a very young age, the Briochin sailor chose the offshore route rather than the school one. At the age of 23, he took part in his first Solitaire du Figaro, his first love of ocean racing, which he raced 17 times and won 3 times...
A solo sailor at heart, Yann discovered the adventure of double-handed racing in the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2007 and won the Multi 50 alongside Erwan Le Roux in 2013. He doubled up on this transatlantic race in 2017 in the Imoca class with Jean-Pierre Dick.
His experience was also forged in multihulls on the Jules Verne Trophy with Orange and also on the Route du Rhum in 2014 with the MOD 70 Paprec Recyclage entrusted by Jean-Pierre Dick. The story continued with the gentleman skipper who entrusted him with his IMOCA in the colours of UCAR-St Michel and with which Yann Eliès finished the 2018 Route du Rhum in 2nd place.
In 2019, he won the Transat Jacques Vabre with Charlie Dalin on the brand new IMOCA Apivia. Two years later, he took fourth place in the Route du Café aboard the Juan K. ARKEA PAPREC design, sailed by Sébastien Simon.
In 2023, he embarks on The Ocean Race alongside Team Malizia, then continues the season aboard the brand new Paprec Arkéa skippered by Yoann Richomme.