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Lionel Lemonchois

Born on 2nd February 1960 in Bayeux, in the Calvados region of northern France, married and the father of two children, Lionel Lemonchois has an eclectic track record. As a result he has managed to conserve a great capacity for adaptation.

Nautical track record

Records aboard Gitana 13 (2008):

  • The Route de l'Or (New York - San Francisco) in 43 days 3 minutes 18 seconds
  • The North Pacific Crossing (San Francisco – Yokohama) in 11 days 12 minutes 55 seconds
  • The Asian Tour
    • Yokohama – Dalian in 3 days 20 hours 19 minutes and 11 seconds
    • Dalian – Qingdao in 23 hours 50 minutes and 20 seconds
    • Qingdao – Taiwan in 3 days 52 minutes and 15 seconds
    • Taipei – Hong-Kong in 1 day 58 minutes 27 seconds
  • The Tea Route (Hong-Kong - London) in 41 days 21 hours 26 minutes 34 seconds
  • Holder of the Jules Verne Trophy with Bruno Peyron on Orange II in 50 days 16 hours 20 minutes (2005)
  • Holder of the Route de l'Or record (New York-San Francisco) with Isabelle Autissier on Ecureuil Poitou-Charentes in 62 days 5 hours 55 minutes (1994)
  • Winner of the Route du Rhum 2006 on Gitana 11 in 7 days 17 hours 19 minutes 6 seconds (2006)
  • Winner of the London-Nice with Franck Cammas on Groupama 2 (2006)
  • Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre with Pascal Bidégorry on Banque Populaire IV (2005)
  • Winner of the Quebec Saint-Malo with Franck Cammas on Groupama (2000)
  • Winner of the Transat Ag2r with Karine Fauconnier on Sergio Tacchini-Itineris (2000)
  • Winner of the Transgascogne on Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque (1999)
  • Winner of the Fastnet Race with Catherine Chabaud on Whirlpool (1999)
  • Winner of the Open UAP aboard the monohull Ville de Cherbourg with Halvard Mabire (1993)
  • 2nd in the Transat Ag2r with Dominic Vittet on Atao (2006)
  • 2nd in the Route de l'Or with Isabelle Autissier on PRB (1998)
  • 2nd in the Monaco – New York with François Boucher on Ker Cadelac (1985)
  • 3rd in The Race with Cam Lewis on Team Adventure (2000-2001)
  • 3rd in the Cannes-Istanbul with Bertrand de Broc on Les Mousquetaires (2006)
  • Four participations in the Mini Transat (1989, 1991, 1995, 1999)
  • Three participations in La Solitaire du Figaro (1990, 1991, 1994)

It was in the 80s, after doing a host of jobs which were as diverse as they were varied, that he decided to fully devote himself to his passion for the open water. He embarked on a multihull alongside François Boucher, prior to participating in his first Mini-Transat in 1989, at the helm of a boat built by his own fair hands.

From that point onwards, Lionel would never stop sailing… A ‘deluxe' crew member, he has long been coveted by the top players to sail alongside them. This began with some female sailors who have a particular place in his career: notably Isabelle Autissier on the Route de l'Or 1994 and 1998, Catherine Chabaud as well as Karine Fauconnier, with whom he won the Transat Ag2r 2000. That same year, he made his comeback in the multihull category by taking victory in the Transat Quebec – Saint-Malo aboard Groupama skippered by Franck Cammas.

In 2001, he integrated the Gitana Team and became the skipper of the most recent Gitana, an Orma trimaran with a rather audacious architectural design. He didn't know it at that point but his encounter with Baron Benjamin de Rothschild was to prove decisive for the next stage in his career. Nevertheless, after two seasons at the helm of Gitana X, Lionel sailed towards other horizons: from the Jules Verne Trophy with Bruno Peyron, to the Transat Jacques Vabre alongside Pascal Bidégorry, then the Transat Ag2r with Dominic Vittet as well as a race between London and Nice with the crew of Franck Cammas… all of them proving victorious!

However, it was in solo configuration that he was to continue his career and write some of the finest lines of his maritime history. This was down to the fact that in July 2006, Baron Benjamin de Rothschild once again provided him with the opportunity to distinguish himself by entrusting him with the helm of Gitana 11 during the Route du Rhum. The rest of the story is etched on everybody's minds: 7 days 17 hours 19 minutes 6 seconds after setting out from Saint Malo, the Norman showed off the true extent of his talent and won the 2006 edition, absolutely pulverising the event record. A rite of passage for a sailor, a boat owner and an entire team, the finish in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe was a moment of rare emotion…

This demonstration of Lionel's strengths in this great solo race proved to be a revelation to the general public and confirmation in the eyes of his peers that he is quite simply a great sailor. However, true to form, the now skipper of Gitana 13 doesn't take this victory for granted. For him, each race start is like starting from zero again, another opportunity to learn. A sense of humility and serenity which epitomizes Lionel Lemonchois.

In 2008, he has travelled the length and breadth of the seas around the globe at the helm of Gitana 13. The record programme was a far cry from solo navigation and the infamous Route du Rhum 2006, but something which perfectly suited the professional fibre of this 48 year old sailor.