MEET GUYOT ENVIRONNEMENT - TEAM EUROPE

January 16th, 2022 | Helly Hansen 

GUYOT environnement – Team Europe is a unique campaign launched for The Ocean Race 2022-23, which builds on Offshore Team Germany’s winning German/French collaboration from The Ocean Race Europe 2021.

The team’s philosophy is to bring different sailors with different backgrounds together and merge their skills to build a strong, overall unit. As Official Clothing Supplier, Helly Hansen will provide the IMOCA team with professional grade, performance-driven gear as they take on what’s often described as sailing’s toughest team challenge. The crew will be provided with pinnacle pieces from our premium Ægir offshore collection. 

GUYOT environnement – Team Europe is taking on The Ocean Race 2022-23 with a IMOCA 60 yacht designed by VPLP/Verdier and built by Green Marine in Southampton, England. The 2016 generation foiler benefits from the latest technological developments and is today one of the most reliable boats on the IMOCA circuit.

THE CREW

BENJAMIN DUTREUX, Skipper

Raised on the Île d’Yeu in the Atlantic, a passionate sailor, a materials technician in the yacht building industry, and a committed campaigner for marine conservation: Benjamin Dutreux is a maritime enthusiast. The 32-year-old learned to sail from his grandfather, competed in his first regattas as a teenager, and advanced to the French national squad. In his student days, he switched from beach catamarans to match racers and eventually discovered his passion for offshore sailing. From 2015 to 2018, he sailed in the French stage race Solitaire du Figaro. He made a splash in his first participation in the Vendée Globe, finishing ninth in January 2021. Shortly after, he was hired by Offshore Team Germany and was part of the winning team in The Ocean Race Europe.

 

ROBERT STANJEK, Co-Skipper

The son of a successful sailing and rowing family, Robert Stanjek laid the foundation for a career as an Olympic sailor at Yachtclub Berlin-Grünau, one of Germany’s most successful sailing clubs. Stanjek opted for the Star boat, became European champion in 2008, and was named Germany’s Sailor of the Year in 2011. In 2012, he sailed to sixth place at the Olympic Games, and was finally crowned Star boat World Champion in 2014. With the Olympic retirement for the Star boat, the now 41-year-old switched to offshore sailing and completed the training for the Volvo Ocean Race 2014/15 in the Dutch «Team Brunel». The chance to sail once around the world became his passion. Consistently, he built a campaign with Jens Kuphal and opened the door to participate in The Ocean Race.

ANNIE LUSH, Skipper

Olympic competitor, two-time circumnavigator, and four-time match race world champion: Annie Lush is a prime example of an all-rounder in sailing – but not just sailing. Born in Poole on the south coast of England, the 42-year-old also won the famous rowing race against Oxford University during her university days in Cambridge. But sailing is where all her passion lies. She became match race world champion for the first time back in 2004 and was able to take part in the Olympic Games in her native Britain in 2012. She then switched to offshore sailing, participating in two Volvo Ocean Races. In 2014/15, she was part of Team SCA, the first all-female team to win a leg of the Ocean Race. In the 2017/18 edition, she sailed with Team Brunel and is now aiming for her third world race.

 

PHILLIP KASÜSKE, Crew member

As the 2016 Junior World Champion and 2020 German Champion in the Finn Dinghy, Phillip Kasüske was considered one of Germany’s hopeful Olympic talents. But after the Corona Shutdown, the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, and the elimination of the Finn Dinghy from the Olympic future, the 28-year-old Berliner has realigned his focus. The powerhouse focused entirely on sailing and was part of the winning team in The Ocean Race Europe. Kasüske is characterized by a special combination of sensitivity and power. On board the Imoca, the passionate cyclist not only brings the necessary horsepower to the grinder. The youngest member of the sailing team can also take the helm when it counts, thanks to his experience in Olympic sailing.

SÉBASTIEN SIMON, Skipper

Raised in the Vendée department and brought to sailing by his father, Sébastien Simon began racing in the Optimist, winning World Championship bronze in the 420 in 2013. In the same year, he prevailed in the CMB selection process. This success secured his participation in the Figaro Circuit. A distinction he repaid when he won the La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro in 2018. In 2020/21, he competed in his first Vendée Globe. After 25 days of racing, he participated in the rescue search for missing Kevin Escoffier. Shortly after, he himself had to abandon the race with damage to the foils. In Team Guyot Environnement - Team Europe, the 32-year-old joins his good friend Benjamin Dutreux, with whom he once shared university accommodation in Nantes.

 

TÁMARA ECHEGOYEN, Crew member

The sailing vita of 38-year-old Támara Echegoyen is filled to the brim with the highest successes. The Spaniard brings Olympic Gold Glory, World Championship titles, and Ocean Race experience to Guyot Environnement - Team Europe. The highlight of her sailing career to date has been the 2012 Olympics, when Echegoyen won the gold medal in match racing off Weymouth. Among her opponents was her current teammate Annie Lush. After that, the Spaniard raced on several tracks: In the 2017/18 Volvo Ocean Race, she was part of the strong Spanish Mapfre team, and in the skiff, she developed into an outstanding athlete. In 2016 and 2020, she became 49erFX World Champion, and at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, she narrowly missed the podium in fourth place.

ANNE-CLAIRE LEBERRE, Skipper

Anne-Claire Le Berre, the 40-year-old Frenchwoman, joined the crew squad earlier this year. The mother of two boys was born in Brest, lives in the French Imoca stronghold of Lorient, has been sailing since the age of seven, and switched to yachting ten years ago after Olympic ambitions in the 470 (2000-2004), yngling (2008) and match racing (2012). She also knows her way around the high-performance Imoca class racers. In 2014, she joined the yacht designers at Finot-Conq, working for Initiatives Coeur’s Imoca campaigns – most recently as project manager for Sam Davies. She has already completed two transatlantic crossings with Imocas and also sailed to third place in the 2021 Mini Transat. Le Berre will take over the pit job and add to the ranks of strong women on board..

 

CHARLES DRAPEAU, Onboard Reporter

25-year-old Charles Drapeau combines two passions with his job as Onboard Reporter for GUYOT environnement - Team Europe: sailing and videography. The Frenchman has been sailing on various boats since he was ten years old and has celebrated successes in yacht regattas on the French Atlantic coast. For five years, Charles Drapeau has been staging sailing as a media man and has already received awards for his work. He has been closely associated with skipper Benjamin Dutreux since the Vendée Globe 2020/21. With his great understanding of sailing on Imoca Open 60, his technical expertise due to his engineering studies, and his experience with the crew during the return of the yacht from Guadeloupe across the Atlantic to Spain, Charles Drapeau will find the right angle to capture the most emotional moments on board.

 

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EXPLORE THE ÆGIR OFFSHORE COLLECTION

The Ægir collection is the direct result of over 40 years of design improvements alongside The Ocean Race teams, and our designers will continue to work closely with GUYOT environnement - Team Europe to refine and test new features and designs.