Sailing was initially a hobby for Yoann Richomme, until something clicked during a transatlantic crossing in 2000 with his father on the family sailboat. As a student in Southampton, where he decided to become a naval architect, and a keen sportsman, he competed in his first Tour de France à la Voile sailing races and began his career in high-level competition as a technical preparer. In 2010, he took the plunge and became a skipper in Figaro Beneteau. He was 27 years old, nobody knew him, and he had never helmed a boat in a race before. Yet he finished second in the Solitaire du Figaro and the press renamed him ‘the phenomenon’.

In eight seasons on the circuit, Yoann has built up an impressive track record: he won the Solitaire twice (in 2016 and 2019) and also distinguished himself in the French offshore racing championship (2nd in 2013 and 2019), the Transat AG2R (2nd in 2014) and the Tour de Bretagne (3rd in 2015).

Having moved on to try his hand at other types of racing, Yoann continues to shine in all categories. He is one of a very select group of double winners of the Route du Rhum (2018 and 2022 in Class40) and has made a sensational entry into the IMOCA class with numerous podium finishes, victories in the Transat CIC and Le Retour à La Base, and a magnificent 2nd place in the 2024-2025 Vendée Globe, after a high-level duel with Charlie Dalin.

With his eyes fixed on the next edition of the solo round-the-world race, with a brand new monohull, Yoann Richomme has set himself a new challenge alongside the construction of the IMOCA Paprec: to return to Figaro and compete in its flagship event, the Solitaire du Figaro. This is an opportunity for the skipper to rediscover his first love and measure himself against the rising generation in the discipline, on equal terms.