INfluencia: What were the reasons that pushed you to take up sailing?
Sébastien Petithuguenin: It was originally a family passion. My father introduced us to sailing when we were little and I was the one who brought the family to the competition. It is a sport that requires values that are the same as those that make up Paprec's DNA: tenacity, surpassing oneself, the ability to bring a technological project to fruition, excellence… Paprec is involved in sailing almost since its beginnings. We have eight major victories on the IMOCA circuit to our name and this Vendée Globe will be our 6th participation in this Everest of the seas! The French sailing sector is a sector of excellence in the world, as is the French recycling and waste recovery sector. This is also one of the reasons for our involvement: I want to participate, with my group, in the development of this sector. With the Transat Paprec, we imposed the mixed doubles to allow sailors to gain experience in ocean racing. At the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, we created the Paprec challenge, which allows novices to attempt a double leg of this demanding race which has brought out the biggest names in sailing. We also offered a scholarship to the winner of this first challenge. We want to democratize access to this sector of excellence.
IN : How is the partnership between Paprec and Crédit Mutuel Arkéa structured?
S. P. : Following the last Vendée Globe, we wanted to further ramp up the project and create our own offshore racing team, allied with Arkéa, which is one of our important financial partners. A group also very involved in offshore racing, even giving its name to the first solo round-the-world trip on a Trimaran, the Arkéa Ultim Challenge. We had the same vision for an ambitious Vendée Globe project. Together, as co-partners, we have chosen a young skipper, a rising star in ocean racing, Yoann Richomme. A choice which turned out to be excellent because Yoann, with the new IMOCA, won two of the first three transatlantic races completed (Return to Base in 2023 and The Transat in 2024), which places him among the favorites for this tenth edition of the Vendée Globe. The IMOCA Paprec Arkéa – often referred to as the Formula 1 of the seas – was built with renowned architects, Antoine Koch and the Finot-Conq firm, very involved sponsors and a skipper very present during the construction since Yoann is a naval architect .
IN: What promotional operations do you develop during the races in which you participate?
S. P. : We organized numerous visits from customers, employees and partners during the construction of the boat, and a series of sailings as well. To make as many people as possible aware of what this type of racing represents, we have created a full-scale model of the IMOCA cockpit. This model is present in all the villages of our sailing events (the Paprec transatlantic, the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, the Transat Jacques Vabre and obviously the Vendée Globe). To date, nearly 10,000 people have been able to visit its interior. We have put in place an important system for the Vendée Globe. During the three weeks in the village, many employees of the group with their families and clients come to our lodge to visit the cockpit, see the IMOCA, and talk with the skipper or Yann Eliès (replacement skipper on the Vendée Globe) and the Team. We are chartering two boats to follow the start and a live at sea event will be carried out by the team's teams for all our passionate employees. At Paprec, we are deeply committed to innovation and technology to build a more environmentally friendly future. The Vendée Globe embodies these values, combining sporting excellence and respect for the oceans. We have also designed with the Cité de la voile an educational kit intended for primary schools. We hope that it will inspire younger generations to become passionate about these subjects and to imagine solutions for a more sustainable world!
