Legallais Sailing Team 2026

Born in Rouen on 7 July 1984, Fabien discovered sailing at the age of 9 in Ouistreham, Normandy. Initially attracted to Olympic sailing, where he joined the French youth 470 team, he then opted for ocean racing. He spent 6 seasons on the demanding Figaro2 one-design circuit from 2009 to 2014, where he won a French Championship title and a number of podium finishes, including second place in the demanding Solitaire du Figaro in 2011.

In 2013, he won the Transat Jacques Vabre alongside Sébastien Rogues in Class40. Two years later, he became a coach and joined Jean-Pierre Dick’s team on the IMOCA foiling boat Saint-Michel Virbac, in charge of performance. That same year, Fabien sailed alongside Jean-Pierre Dick in the Transat Jacques Vabre, before accompanying him in the Vendée Globe.

Fabien then spent 2 years in the legendary The Ocean Race (formerly the Volvo Ocean Race) with the Dongfeng team, as a sailor and head of the performance unit. A race of excellence that he won! In 2019, Fabien returns to the Figaro circuit with his new one-design hydrofoil Figaro3. He sailed for three seasons single-handed, claiming podium finishes in the French Elite Championship and 5th and 6th places in the famous Solitaire du Figaro. At the same time, Fabien finished on the 2nd step of the podium in the Class40 Transat Jacques Vabre with Sam Goodchild in 2019. His talent will lead him to share cockpits with some of the biggest names in ocean racing.

Originally from the Orne region, Henri has always been drawn to the sea. His first maritime experience came at the age of 14, when he spent a year on a boat. At the age of 18, he left Normandy for Brittany. With his baccalaureate diploma in hand, he enrolled in a 2-year higher education certificate (BTS) in Management, followed by a professional degree in tropical agriculture, which he completed in La Réunion. But the call of the open sea proved too strong for Henri, who decided to take a state diploma (Brevet d’État) in sailing and spent a few years in the West Indies as a leisure boat skipper.

When his first child was born, Henri decided to return to France. Interested in racing but lacking a network, he joined the 1st class of ocean racing sailboat preparers (“Préparateur de Voiliers au course au large”) organised by AFPA in Lorient. After 6 months of intensive training, he was immediately offered an assignment with Xavier Macaire. Henri made a name for himself and worked with several skippers, mainly on the Figaro circuit.

In 2023, Henri joins the Legallais Team Voile project led by Fabien Delahaye. Used to figarist projects, working on the Class40 circuit was a first for Henri. The gamble paid off, as 2 years later, Legallais Team Voile finished 2nd in the Class40 Championship!