Marc Pajot


Marc Pajot is a French sailor. He has been a crew member on Éric Tabarly’s boats.
Noted for winning the Silver medal at the 1972 Olympics at 19 with his older brother Yves, 5 times world champion, winner of the cross-Atlantic Route du Rhum, twice semi-finalist representing France at the America’s Cup as a Project Manager and Skipper, he has been representing French sailing achievement around the world.
Member of French Maritime Academy, the French Yacht Club, and the Monaco Yacht Club he is now settled in Cannes, Côte d’Azur, running a Yacht Selection activity and a consulting activity in marina landscaping.

Sailing career

From the age of 14 to 23, with his brother Yves

Marc Pajot accumulates national and international titles :
Marc Pajot sets out to conquer the oceans under the wing of Eric Tabarly and crosses the Cap Horn at the age of 20 during the first team race around the world, the Whitbread in 1973.
He sets the professional standards for high seas regattas by promoting his sponsors, amongst which Paul Ricard and Elf Aquitaine with whom he will lead on to accomplish extraordinary performances.

He takes the 2nd place in 1979 at the double handed transatlantic race Lorient-Burmuda-Lorient with the hydrofoil Paul Ricard.

Elf Aquitaine – Titan of the seas

His Elf Aquitaine catamarans – will enable him to accomplish a series of performances between 1980 and 1983:
Marc Pajot has so far crossed 15 times the Atlantic Ocean as a skipper, crew member, or single handed.

The America’s Cup

As a project manager, Skipper and helmsman, Marc Pajot has been able to federate the best in the profession, sponsors, naval architects, engineers, tacticians and crew, to run after the America’s Cup for four challenges:
Twice he succeeded in skippering the French challenge to the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup.
During those 25 years of competitions, Marc Pajot has managed and overseen the conception and creation of over 15 boats from 45 to 100 ft.

Other areas within the sailing world

Since 2000 Marc Pajot has also become a yacht broker providing yacht selection services and does consultancy in Marina landscaping around the world.

Yachting accomplishments