Benjamin Dutreux
A young skipper with experience
This training goes beyond sports performance
His first place in 2015 in the rookie rankings of the French Elite Single-handed Ocean Racing Championship on the Figaro Beneteau circuit had proved the validity of Team Vendée's training approach. Since then, he has become the team's experienced skipper, sharing his experience with the new recruits.
“This training goes beyond simple sporting performance. You have to succeed in setting up your project, finding partners, managing your budgets, funding and team. To make a sports project work, it's first and foremost a real business. The fact that the Beneteau Foundation is linked to Team Vendée is very interesting and creates exchanges of experience for young people with profiles other than sailors, such as technicians”.
Thomas Cardrin
A well-prepared sports project for top performance
I was able to prove that, in addition to my technical skills, I also know how to navigate.
Having joined Team Vendée in 2018, Thomas Cardrin in turn finished 1st rookie in the French Elite Single-handed Offshore Racing Championship, confirming the excellent preparation that Team Vendée provides for its students.
“When I got back from my America's Cup experience, I was asked by Team Vendée to be Boat Captain of the Figaro Beneteau 3 for Groupe Beneteau. This gave me the opportunity to work on this new boat, which I think will be the talk of the town in the years to come! Team Vendée offered me a great opportunity to express myself as a sailor and ocean racer. This well-thought-out project, with a budget, a boat, a coach and an intensive training structure, helped me to achieve a fine performance in the Solitaire. This additional experience in my curriculum gave me the chance to express myself not just as a technician, but also as a sailor. I was able to prove that, in addition to my technical skills, I also know how to sail.”
Martin Painsar et Martin Bédier
A business creation project takes shape
The Foundation's support has enabled us to develop our ideas
Martin Bédier, landscape engineer, and Martin Painsar, architect DE, are the winners of the Foundation's 2016 competition on the theme of floating neighborhoods. Their project, “Aux rythmes de la nature”, gave them significant visibility with the urban communities of Nantes and Bordeaux, and helped them set up their business.
“The Foundation's support has enabled us to develop our ideas by exchanging and expressing our concepts to expert professionals. The reputation of Groupe Beneteau, the various publications on our work and our presence at the Paris Boat Show gave us real visibility. The Foundation put us in touch with a network of elected officials and cities concerned by the issues addressed in our projects. All these interactions led us to think about setting up a company to respond efficiently to these requests.
This is how the FAAR agency was born in 2016. FAAR works in the fields of building architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, retail, space planning, naval architecture and, more broadly, on all assignments relating to the act of building and developing space.”
Find out more: www.faar-atelier.com
Léa Godillon
An internship to combine passion and professional ambition
I have carried out a state-of-the-art review of existing environmental regulations in the boating sector.
Léa completed a 6-month internship with the Beneteau Foundation. This opportunity enabled her to specialize in environmental regulations for the boating industry, with a particular focus on the treatment of black and grey water.
“I studied at a general engineering school: INSA ROUEN. During my training, I developed a passion for sailing and sailed on a variety of boats (First 36.7, 40.7, Sun Odyssey, Sun Fast 32). My passion for sailing and my desire to share with others inspired me to help autistic children discover this activity. I was lucky enough to be able to combine my interests and skills with the Beneteau Foundation.
Véronique Braud
Towards qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games
My difference is my strength
At 48, Véronique is a woman of action and conviction. Numerical control operator for Groupe Beneteau at its Dompierre-sur-Yon site, she has a long list of top-level sporting achievements to her name: French Para badminton champion, 6th-ranked singles player in the world and 5th-ranked women's doubles player. On a daily basis, Véronique continues to fight for the acceptance of disability in the workplace, and to excel in competitive sport at the highest level. Supported by the Foundation since 2016, she has 22 international medals to her name and is now focusing on her new goal: qualifying for the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2020.
“I now have 22 medals in para badminton and am 6th in the world in singles. My difference is a strength: it drives me every day to turn difficulties into positive impetus, whether in my job or in managing my sporting career. The Foundation supported me in 2016 and 2017. My goal for 2018-2019 is to be able to take part in and win the qualifying events to represent France at the 2020 Paralympic Games.”
Julien Pulvé
“Over and above the financial support, the Foundation and Groupe Beneteau have forged a lasting relationship, providing key support and moral backing over time. By supporting Team Vendée, the Foundation plays an active role in promoting the ocean racing profession. For our generations of sailors, the contribution of partners is essential to the realization of professional projects. In 2017, I took a step forward by setting up my own project management business around sailing.”
Follow-up over time and key moral support
Beyond the financial support, a lasting relationship has been created with the Foundation and the Groupe Beneteau.
A 31-year-old sailor, Julien Pulvé joined the Figaro Beneteau Class in 2017. Selected by Team Vendée Formation as skipper Espoir 2017 on Figaro Beneteau 2, he reached the 1st step of the podium in the bizuth category of the La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro race and the Championnat de France Élite Course au Large FFV. A performance and a course followed and saluted by the Beneteau Corporate Foundation, committed to Team Vendée Formation since 2016.
