SSL Team France, known as LES BLEUS, is heading into the SSL Gold Cup with a strong mix of offshore experience, high-level fleet racing and youthful energy. Led by legendary French ocean sailor Loïck Peyron, the team will begin its SSL Gold Cup in the Round of 16, where France will face Argentina on 2 December.
The French team is planning to arrive in Rio early, with training scheduled for the final week of October at the venue, giving the crew valuable time to prepare for the conditions on the racecourse.
After finishing 7th at the SSL Gold Cup in Gran Canaria, LES BLEUS will be looking to take another step forward in Rio.
At the helm of LES BLEUS is Loïck Peyron, one of France’s most celebrated ocean sailors and a specialist in high-speed multihulls. Peyron has built an extraordinary career in offshore sailing, competing in some of the world’s most demanding solo and crewed ocean races and setting records on the water.
In 2012, he won the legendary Trophée Jules Verne, the non-stop crewed round-the-world record. Together with his crew, he completed the circumnavigation in 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds. Two years later, in 2014, Peyron claimed victory in the iconic Route du Rhum, sailing solo from France to Guadeloupe aboard the trimaran Banque Populaire VII. His experience also extends to the America’s Cup, where he was part of Artemis Racing.
Now, Peyron faces a very different challenge. The SSL Gold Cup is not about crossing oceans or setting offshore records. It is about intense races where every manoeuvre matters and where communication, timing and teamwork can make the difference.
Athletes who are already confirmed
Edouard “Doudou” Masse was Loïck Peyron’s first choice for the demanding bow position. The bowman needs agility, speed and precision, while constantly working with the sails and staying perfectly connected to the rest of the crew. Masse has competed in five editions of the Tour de France à la Voile, as well as numerous seasons in IRC and TP52.
Eliott Michal will take the pit position and form, together with Edouard Masse, an important working unit at the front of the boat. Their combined experience will be crucial for the precision and fluidity of manoeuvres, where timing and communication can make the difference between gaining and losing valuable metres.
With experience in both SB20 and TP52, Emeric Michel brings valuable racing knowledge to LES BLEUS. Valentin Sipan brings experience from a wide range of high-level sailing projects. He competed in the Youth America’s Cup before moving into projects including the Tour de France à la Voile, SB20 and TP52. At the grinder position, Clément Meister turns physical effort into boat speed. Working in constant coordination with the trimmers, he provides the power needed at exactly the right moment to adjust the sails and keep manoeuvres smooth and efficient.
LES BLEUS bring together two very different worlds of French sailing: the vast experience of an offshore legend in Loïck Peyron, and a crew shaped by demanding inshore and professional racing projects.
Their collective background includes TP52, SB20, Tour de France à la Voile, Youth America’s Cup and America’s Cup, alongside Peyron’s extraordinary record in ocean racing.
After finishing 7th at the SSL Gold Cup in Gran Canaria, France arrives in Rio with valuable experience and a clear ambition: to go further this time.
Their journey begins in the Round of 16 against Argentina on 2 December.
With training already planned at the Rio venue from the final week of October, LES BLEUS will have the opportunity to build their teamwork, understand the local conditions and fine-tune every detail before the racing begins.
