A specialist in solo record-breaking, Thomas Coville belongs to that exceptional quartet — alongside Ellen MacArthur, Francis Joyon and François Gabart — who have each successfully completed a non-stop, solo round-the-world voyage in a multihull.
Born in May 1968, married and father of two, Thomas Coville has been the skipper of Sodebo since 1999.
An adventurer and a passionate sailor, he throws himself wholeheartedly into every challenge he undertakes. A seasoned round-the-world sailor, his background as an engineer supports his deep involvement in the technical design and performance development of the boats he skippers.
Thomas Coville has competed at the highest level since his teenage years. From Mini 6.50s to giant record-breaking trimarans, via the America’s Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race, this man — now approaching his fifties — is one of the most versatile skippers of his generation. Never satisfied — curious about culture, literature, music, cycling, mountaineering, and travel — he approaches life with unrelenting passion. Yet, multihulls remain his constant thread, his adrenaline, his world.
Record of Achievements (Selected)
2017 – Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre
2017 – Solo North Atlantic record: 4 days 11 hours 10 minutes 23 seconds
2016 – Solo round-the-world record: 49 days 3 hours 7 minutes 38 seconds (December 2016, later improved by François Gabart)
2016 – 2nd in The Transat
2015 – 2nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre
Career Highlights
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9 round-the-world voyages, including 5 solo, 7 in multihulls and 2 in monohulls
11 Cape Horn roundings and over 40 Atlantic crossings
17 solo records and 4 crew records
7 Route du Rhum races, including 1 victory in a monohull (1998) and 4 podiums in a trimaran (2006, 2010, 2018 and 2022)
Solo round-the-world record in 2016 (49 days, 3 hours, 7 minutes and 38 seconds) – subsequently broken by François Gabart in 2017
Jules Verne Trophy winner in 1997 (with Olivier de Kersauson, 71 days) and in 2010 (with Franck Cammas, 48 days)
Additional Achievements
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Winner of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011–2012
Holder of the Jules Verne Trophy (1997 and 2010)
North Atlantic crossing record in 2008 (5 days, 19 hours, 29 minutes, 20 seconds)
2nd in The Transat Anglaise 2004
Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre 1998
2nd in the Mini Transat 1997