This year Phil Sharp, holder of three World Sailing Speed Records and two times consecutive Class40 Champion will join the Classe Figaro, racing aboard the Figaro 3 for the first time.  
 
Phil has achieved top results in some of the most challenging events to date such as solo transatlantic races the Mini Transat (Mini), the Transat (Class40), and the Route du Rhum (Class40).
Off the water Phil is a clean-tech developer and brings together his specialisms through his innovations racing campaign
OceansLab
. Its mission - to demonstrate clean technologies in the toughest ocean races, is nearing completion of a modular hydrogen fuel cell prototype that can be scaled up to large vessels and aid the maritime sector’s transition to clean energy.

As an experienced mechanical engineer Phil is a natural problem solver enabling him to not only make repairs at sea, but also push the boat to its limits. To date, Phil is one of the few skippers that has not retired from a race, and made a memorable finish at the Statue of Liberty in New York with half a mainsail in 2016’s solo Transat bakerly race from UK-USA. As a specialist in performance composite structures Phil led the design of the three booms aboard the world’s largest sailing yacht, Sailing Yacht A, and completed a team to produce the first concept in modular wind turbines.
 
Phil’s ultimate objective is to race around the world aboard a cutting-edge IMOCA60, whilst demonstrating clean-energy technologies that can be embraced today.  As a furiously competitive one-design class, Phil believes that the Figaro class is an ideal training platform to develop and keep his skills honed.