Sébastien SIMON

A structural and composite engineer, Sébastien is a true enthusiast of board sports—surfing, snowboarding, skiing—and, of course, sailing, offshore racing, and the ocean. Originally from Vendée, he discovered sailing as a child aboard his father’s boat. Bitten by the competitive bug from the start, he quickly made a name for himself in Olympic sailing.

Third in the 470 World Championship in 2013, Sébastien ultimately found his passion in offshore racing, setting his sights on the Vendée Globe. At the end of 2013, he won the Challenge Espoir Bretagne-CMB, earning his entry into the professional Figaro circuit. Over five seasons, he established himself as one of the top contenders in this highly competitive class, a proving ground for future Vendée Globe skippers. In 2018, he won La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro and was crowned French Offshore Racing Elite Champion.

With Sébastien Simon at the helm, ARKÉA and PAPREC—two groups historically involved in offshore racing—joined forces around an ambitious project driven by innovation, knowledge-sharing, challenge, and teamwork.

Supported by his partners, Sébastien Simon made the bold choice to build a brand-new boat for his first Vendée Globe, designed by architect Juan Kouyoumdjian. The ARKÉA PAPREC Team relied on Sébastien’s talent and determination, combined with the vast experience of Vincent Riou.

Sébastien Simon set off on his first solo round-the-world race in 2020. A month after the start, while sailing in 4th place, he was forced to retire after colliding with an unidentified floating object (UFO) off the Cape of Good Hope. The disappointment was immense, but Sébastien was determined to return in 2024. After an impressive Transat Jacques Vabre, where he finished 4th alongside Yann Eliès, Sébastien teamed up with his long-time friend from his student days, Benjamin Dutreux, for The Ocean Race 2023, aboard Guyot Environnement - Team Europe.

Following a challenging edition of The Ocean Race, marked by numerous technical issues, Sébastien Simon bounced back with a new Vendée Globe project. He secured the support of Groupe Dubreuil, which was celebrating its 100th anniversary and aimed to make a statement by competing in the next edition of the legendary race.

His Vendée Globe was intense, defined by the breakage of his foil, but also by an extraordinary feat: he broke the 24-hour distance record, surpassing 600 nautical miles. Despite these challenges, Sébastien Simon delivered an outstanding performance, finishing 3rd in the race—a remarkable achievement for a skipper who, just months earlier, was still recovering from an injury sustained during Retour à La Base.

2018: Solitaire Urgo Figaro - Vainqueur
2018: Transat AG2R-La Mondiale - 2nd
2017: Solitaire Urgo Le Figaro - 4th 
2016: Transat AG2R-La Mondiale - 4th
2016: Solitaire Bompart Le Figaro - 11th