Sam DAVIES

Born in Portsmouth, England, Sam Davies grew up in a family of sailors. Her grandfather was a submarine commander, and she learned to walk on her parents’ boat.

A graduate in engineering from the University of Cambridge, she began her career in competitive sailing at the age of 24 by embarking on a trimaran in an attempt to break the Jules Verne Trophy record in 1998. She then chose to settle in France to fully live her passion. After honing her skills in the Mini 6.50 class and on the Figaro circuit, she made a name for herself in the 2008 Vendée Globe, finishing an impressive 4th aboard the IMOCA Roxy. She was later selected as the skipper of Team SCA for the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race, a fully female-crewed round-the-world race.

After competing in two Transat Jacques Vabre races alongside Tanguy de Lamotte, Sam took the helm of the IMOCA Initiatives-Cœur in 2018. She fully committed to the technical development of the boat while also championing the project’s humanitarian cause. Initiatives-Cœur supports Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque, a foundation that funds life-saving heart surgeries for children who lack access to medical care in their home countries.

On November 8, 2020, she set off on her third Vendée Globe. After a strong start, she collided with a UFO (Unidentified Floating Object) off the Cape of Good Hope, causing severe structural damage to her keel. Forced to retire on December 5, she nevertheless chose to complete her round-the-world journey outside of the race. On February 28, 2021, she finished her course, achieving a personal victory and raising enough funds to save 102 children.

Continuing her momentum, she secured a 5th place finish in the 2021 Transat Jacques Vabre with Nicolas Lunven. That same year, she sold her IMOCA to Arnaud Boissières and launched the construction of a new Initiatives-Cœur, which was launched in 2022. Six months later, she took the start of the Route du Rhum, finishing 28th in the IMOCA fleet.

At the beginning of 2023, while her IMOCA was in the shipyard, Paul Meilhat invited her to join his IMOCA Biotherm for a leg of The Ocean Race. Sam accepted, on the condition that she could take part in the longest and most demanding stage: the legendary Southern Ocean crossing between Cape Town and Itajaí—a great training opportunity ahead of the Vendée Globe, which was set to start a year and a half later.

Back on Initiatives-Cœur, she teamed up with Damien Seguin for the Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race, then with Nicolas Lunven for the rest of the season. When Lunven was ultimately recruited by Holcim-PRB, Jack Boutell stepped in as her co-skipper for the 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre. It was a successful year, which she concluded with a 4th place finish in the IMOCA Globe Series.

In 2024, she continued her strong performances, securing 3rd place in The Transat CIC, reaffirming her status as one of the favorites for the 2024-25 Vendée Globe. After an intense race, she crossed the finish line in 13th position. Barely back on land, she announced her next challenge: teaming up with Violette Dorange as co-skipper for the 2025 Transat Café de l’Or.

2014-15: Team SCA skipper - Volvo Ocean Race
2010: Transat Ag2r - 4th
2004: BPE Trophy - 5th
2003: Transat Ag2r - 5th