Romain LE GALL / Mini Transat

M • 20/11/1994 • 26 years old
La Rochelle

Portrait

A native of Sainte Marine in Brittany, Romain Le Gall spent his childhood cruising between the Glénans archipelago and the bay of La Forêt Fouesnant with his parents before becoming a sailing instructor at the watersports club on Tudy Island. He then hit the racetrack on boats like the Caravelle, the Open 5.70 and the J80.

At the same time, he joined Tribord – a sailing brand within Décathlon –, in La Rochelle, as a product engineer, and designed and then developed safety devices for sailors such as lifejackets and tethers, which are sure to be invaluable in his transatlantic passage.

“Why the Mini Transat? After going down to watch the start of the 2017 edition of the race, I experienced a rush of emotions and I realised that the people taking part were just like me and that ultimately it was an adventure that’s accessible,” comments the sailor, who has put together his Les Optiministes campaign with Léo Bothorel. “It promises to be a great adventure. Making a transatlantic passage singlehanded on a 6.50-metre boat is a bit crazy! My main goals will be to get to the other side having relished my time on the water as much as possible. If I manage to pull it off, I know that the results will follow”, says the skipper, who arrived on the circuit in 2020 with a Maxi 6.50 aboard which he has already amassed over 9,000 miles and demonstrated that he’s capable of vying for the top spots. In fact, he’s notably secured three podium places out of the five races he’s competed in this season.