Enzo Balanger, skipper of Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team for the Youth America's Cup
Enzo Balanger, who has been passionate about sailing since he was a child, followed a fairly traditional training programme in Guadeloupe and then in mainland France, and is now one of the most talented sailors of his generation. Determined and ambitious, the La Pelle Marseille graduate successfully passed the selection trials before being named skipper of Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team for the Youth America's Cup.
Originally from Les Abymes in Guadeloupe, Enzo Balanger discovered sailing at the age of six. "The club was just down the road from my house. I started out on the Optimist on Wednesday afternoons and really enjoyed it so I started to sail a bit more," said Enzo, who lived on the island until the age of 15. Three years after his first tacks, Enzo started competing in the youth class. “I've always been very competitive, even while playing at home with my brother! I got hooked straight away because it was an environment where I could put a bit of pressure on myself, feel the nerves in my stomach before the start of a race. I liked it. It was a change from everyday life, and I enjoyed being out on the water”. He soon racked up a string of good results, including European and French Champion titles.
"I was lucky enough to go to the European Championships in 2013, where I finished in the Top 20. The following year, all the planets aligned, and I had a great week in Ireland. On the last day, we didn't race because it was too foggy, and I won. It was a real relief and a great moment. I followed that up with a win at the French Championships, so it really was a great summer," he recalled with emotion.
After a brief six month stint in the Laser, Enzo moved to mainland France in 2015 and joined the Pôle Espoir de la Rochelle on the 420. Once again the young sailor, partnered by Gaultier Tallieu, was a great success. During his first season in 2016 on this new boat he was crowned vice-champion of France Espoir and achieved his first world podium in the U17 class finishing 3rd. Together, Enzo and Gaultier won everything in France and took part in the 2018 ISAF Youth World Championship in China, where they finished 4th. A fine performance that the duo repeated at the 420 World Championship in Australia two weeks later. Runners-up in the European Youth Championship that same year, they turned the page on 420 sailing on a high note before trying their hand at the 470 for a year to "discover Olympic sailing".
On the strength of his experience he started sailing the foiling Moth in 2018. "I was really attracted to flying boats and I wanted to get involved in an Olympic foiling project,” he said. Enzo switched from one hull to two and joined the Mediterranean Training Centre (CEM) at La Grande-Motte in 2020 to sail the Nacra 17. After a year and a half of competition and a 5th place in the Nacra 17 World Youth Championships in 2020, he decided to change direction.
"We didn't notch up any incredible results, but it gave me the chance to discover the Olympics and to work in a more professional way, with daily physical preparation, a budget to build-up. We were more invested. It also made me realise that this was what I wanted to do with my life. It was a really interesting experience.”
Although he devotes most of his time to sailing, Enzo has not neglected his studies. After taking his Baccalauréat in Science and a spell at INSA, he enrolled at EDHEC Business School and has been doing an online course since 2020. This remote learning solution allows him to manage his timetable as he wishes and to increase his time on the water thanks to pre-recorded lessons. During summer 2022, Enzo threw himself into sailing the foiling Moth and trained more and more frequently on Lake Garda in Italy with the best in the fleet. He began to perform well in the Senior class, with his first Top 10 finish (9th place) at the 2022 World Championships, followed by a 6th place in 2023.
At the same time, his dreams of sailing the America's Cup were at the forefront of his mind. "When I heard about the Youth America's Cup, which was due to take place in Auckland in 2020, I said to myself that it was one of the best ways to understand how things worked and to one day be able to take part in the Cup with the 'big boys'. I wanted to take part because it's my dream and my goal to win the Cup one day," he recalls. Enzo contacted Charles Dorange with a view to the 2024 Youth America's Cup. "I was lucky enough to be among those pre-selected and to be able to send in my application. I then went through the whole selection process, with an initial course in April 2023 at the ENVSN in Quiberon, followed by a second, slightly more advanced selection programme. We went to Barcelona where we did a simulator session. It worked well with the team. As the sailing progressed, I felt that the members of the team had confidence in me. I learned of my selection on 14 December. It was quite a long day, because you could get a call at any moment between 14:00 and 18:00. It was Bruno Dubois who announced my selection as skipper. I was really happy, because it was the culmination of a lot of hard work. And the start of a great adventure.”
When he's not on the water, Enzo, who is passionate about sport in general, keeps up to date with other disciplines. "When I was younger, I was a big football fan. I played a bit of it, as well as basketball, tennis and table tennis with my friends, but I didn't play any other club sport apart from sailing. I was lucky enough to find my sport the first time round", says Enzo.
His 'idols' are Jean Le Cam and Nathan Outteridge. "I followed Jean during his Vendée Globe and Route du Rhum races. I was even lucky enough to take a ride on his IMOCA when he arrived in Guadeloupe when I was two. And having him christen my Optimist was a great moment.” For all that, Enzo, who "likes to sleep in his own bed at night", doesn't see himself taking up ocean racing for the time being. "When I really got into 420s and became more interested in Olympic sailing, I said to myself that the guy I'd like to be was Nathan Outteridge. He performs on all types of boats and is extremely competitive. It's inspiring and he's someone I can identify with.”
When he's not sailing, he's watching from the chase boat. "I really try to watch what's going on in the Cup and previous editions on YouTube. I like to go running or do sport in general, I need it.”
Date of birth: 8 October 2000
Place of birth: Les Abymes, Guadeloupe
What the Cup means to him: "I dream of winning it one day, not just taking part. And I hope it becomes a goal and that I get the chance to do it. I organise my sporting seasons and my life in general around that. I sail Moths because all the Cup helmsmen do that. I can do battle on the water with them at the World Championships. It's always an incredible moment to be on the starting line with sailors like Tom Slingsby or Nathan Outteridge, to be able to fight against guys I watch on YouTube. I did my first World Moth Championship in 2021. It was a huge thing for me to see all these stars in the car park, sailing against them. I hope one day to be able to go up against them in the Cup.”
A moment that left a lasting impression on him: "There are lots of them, but the one that made the biggest impression on me was the American comeback in 2013. It was really fascinating and inspiring. And I'm not just talking about what happened on the water, but the whole process put in place by the team to try and get back into the match. I was lucky enough to rub shoulders with Philippe Presti in the Moth fleet. He gave me a lot of advice. The way he tells the story from his point of view is inspiring. It shows that in sport, as long as it's not over, there's always a chance of winning.”
Trimmer aboard the AC40 Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team for the Youth America's Cup
On the water since he was a child, Gaultier Tallieu will be one of two trimmers aboard the AC40 Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team for the Youth America's Cup.
Gaultier grew up by the sea in Ronce-les-Bains, between Royan and La Rochelle. "My parents' house was by the beach, 200 metres from a sailing club. I went on a boat for the first time when I was still in a pram. My father, who is a fan of old sailing boats, has always had them for cruising or just hanging out on", explains the youngster who started Optimist sailing at the age of 5, initially as a leisure activity.
But the young sailor owes his passion for competition to his older brother, who "competed at a high level in catamarans before stopping in his final year to focus on his studies". Although Gaultier played competitive tennis, he stopped at the age of 12-13 to devote himself to sailing. "I started competing in an Optimist at the age of 8 and joined the La Rochelle training centre when I was at secondary school, before continuing at the Pôle Espoir at the end of secondary school/beginning of high school.”
While there he met Enzo Balanger, with whom he entered the 420 class. The adventure lasted three great years, with a number of results including a runners-up spot in the French and European championships, and 4th place in the ISAF Youth World Championship. "After the baccalaureate, we wanted to continue with a 470 project, but when the boat became mixed a year later, we went our separate ways, although we continued to do a few regattas together."
During his second year post-baccalaureate, he started racing with Timothé Polet's Match Attack, going on to win the European Match Race title. Gaultier then moved to Lyon and enrolled at INSA. Alongside his engineering studies, he set up a Diam 24 Tour Voile project in 2021 as skipper. "We finished 4th. We did it again in a Figaro and finished 3rd. It's important for me to set up projects from A to Z, to manage the search for partners and to have the dual role of project manager and sailor. I’ve also kept up my match racing on the side.”
Last year, with a year still to go in the Youth category, Gaultier joined the Pôle Espoir in Antibes. This change of centre and crew coincided with the launch of the Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team Youth America’s Cup project. "I threw myself wholeheartedly into it. I felt that a project was being put together. I tried to find out more, but in the end they contacted me. I was really happy to be able to show what I could do," he says, adding that his selection was a bit special. "Initially, I wasn't selected as a first-choice starter, but as first-choice substitute and coordinator of the Youth team because of my background. It was a role I enjoyed because it allowed me to see how this kind of team worked and to get to know everyone. Despite my rather special status, I continued to do simulator work and sailing. I was pleasantly surprised on 14 December when I was announced as one of the six starters. It just goes to show that you can succeed, even if you come in through the back door."
While he is delighted to be part of the team, Gaultier is not abandoning his studies. "I'm continuing my studies, even though my timetable has been rearranged for the second semester. It's of great interest to me because I'm studying mechanical engineering with a major in mechatronics and systems, which is very close to the boat. It gives me a different perspective on how the boat and the onboard systems work. It's very rewarding."
When he's not on the water or at school, Gaultier tries to spend time with his family and friends. "When my girlfriend was in Paris, we went to visit museums. It's important for me to be able to disconnect and not always do things related to the boat. It allows me to be nourished by other subjects and to have a good balance between different worlds and, in the end, not to be saturated, to have the necessary distance while remaining fresh, motivated and focused when I need to be".
His dream is to make a living from boating as a professional sailor, and if possible one day take part in the America's Cup. But before that, Gaultier has another ambition: to take part in the 2028 Olympic Games with Theo Revil in the 49er, the two young men having embarked on their Olympic preparations together last December.
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Date of birth: 3 January 2001
Place of birth: La Rochelle, France
His motto: "The greatest secret of success is to set a goal and never lose sight of it".
What the America's Cup means to him: "It's the most legendary trophy, bringing together high-level competition, technology, media coverage and prestige. It's a bit like Formula 1. R&D and limits are pushed to the limit to win the trophy. There are no compromises. It's a competition I've dreamed of since I was a kid and I used to watch it. The Match Race dimension has always appealed to me. The approach isn't the same as for a classic fleet race. It's not the same faculties and skills that are put to the test. I also really like this technological war, the fact that the competition is developing a whole host of other aspects that are helping to enrich society and maritime transport technically and technologically. It's always interesting to see that from the inside.
A specific memory of the America's Cup: "When the New Zealanders arrived in Bermuda with their bikes on the boat in 2017. Now, that may seem silly because it's applied everywhere, but they were the first, or one of the first, to have thought of it. Thanks to this, they were able to manage energy better and produce more. It just goes to show that sometimes you don't have to go overboard to get things done quickly, you just have to find things that work.”
Lou Mourniac, who has been sailing since childhood, has joined the young Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team for the Youth America's Cup. It's a source of great satisfaction for the young woman who is making her own mark while following in the family footsteps of her father, uncle, brother and cousin.
It's hard not to fall into sailing as a child when you come from a long line of sailors: "My dad, who sailed and worked at the ENVSN, sailed with my uncle Philippe, who was part of three Cup teams. They did two Olympic preparations, for the Atlanta and Sydney Games," says Lou, whose family hails from the south-east of France.
"I spent a lot of time with my brother in the boat park when I was very young. It's hard to do anything other than sailing when you live in Quiberon and your father does it every day. It was sailing that allowed us to make a living, in addition to my mum's job of course," says Lou, whose cousin Bruno was part of the Youth America's Cup in 2017. Meanwhile her brother, Tim, has just won selection for Paris 2024 in the Nacra 17, coached by their father Jean-Christophe.
Lou set sail for the first time at the age of seven with ASN Quiberon just for fun. She also played basketball competitively for eight years. "I sailed on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but also played tennis, golf, guitar and attended theatre group. Around the age of 12-13, a group got together at my club to compete in the Open Bic. The competitions started to go well and I made some friends in sailing, but I also wanted to carry on at school.” Lou was subsequently offered a place at the Departmental Training Centre in the Nacra 15.
"My brother had just won a world title and we've always been very close to catamarans in my family. It's a type of boat that has always appealed to me, and it was mixed. I sailed it for two years with Elouan Barnaud, and then as he was a bit older than me, I had to change crew. I eventually finished 3rd in the French Championship".
Lou continued in the Nacra class while studying for a degree. "I went to architecture school. I was pretty good in all the subjects at school and I thought the discipline was pretty generalist. I didn't know anything about that world, but I've always had a creative side". She chose Nantes because she was offered a place at the La Rochelle centre and the chance to continue sailing.
"I juggled between sailing and studying. I didn't want to choose between the two because it was impossible for me to stop doing one or the other. It was a bit of a challenge, but it was incredible. I succeeded in both because I gave it my all and because it meant so much to me.” Before turning the page on the Nacra 15, Lou notched up two further titles: European vice-champion and World Champion.
“My dad sailed the ETF26 and his sponsor was setting up a women's project. Mathilde Géron called me up to be a flight controller. It enabled me to learn to fly a much bigger catamaran, and to take my first steps into professional sailing." Lou also sailed a 69F from 2021, called up by Charles Dorange.
When she heard about the creation of the first Women’s America's Cup, she was quick to jump at the chance and thought it was "great that there would be women in the Cup". When the Youth project was announced, Lou, who sails a lot of ETF26 and 69F boats, realised just how much such a project could bring her. So she filled in an application form and went through the selection process at ENVSN.
"Initially, I was selected as a replacement. The team called me back in October for a 69F event, the Youth Foiling Gold Cup, which we won. I gave it my all because I wanted to win for the project. And in the end, I joined the team on 14 December." For Lou, the Youth America's Cup is "a great opportunity, a gateway, a way to aspire to do great things afterwards, and a very formative experience".
While she dreams of victory, she is not closing the door on the Olympics. "I'd love to compete in an Olympic class again, but I have to admit that I find it hard to project myself into the future. I live in the moment and always prepare my seasons at the last minute. This time, I'm going to try to do as much as I can to progress as much as possible and achieve good results.”
In the little free time that Lou has, she enjoys wing racing. And she'd like to take part in the Women’s America's Cup one day as well.
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Date of birth: 15 March 2003
Place of birth: Vannes, France
Her motto: "Less is more".
What the Cup means to her: "It's the grail, in addition to the Olympic Games. There are several competitions to win in sailing: the Games, The Ocean Race, the Vendée Globe and the America’s Cup. It represents sporting excellence and the experience of an entire team. It's an event that drives our sport forward. You can't get much better than that.”
A specific memory of the America's Cup: "I remember the final between the New Zealanders and the Americans in 2017. It was just a huge sporting moment."
Matisse Pacaud had already made his mark on the yacht racing world before joining the Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team for the Youth America's Cup as the port pilot on the foiling AC40.
Born and brought up in Cannes the 22-year-old started sailing aged 8 at the local Club Nautique de la Croisette. He recalls: "I started with the Optimist in a summer course and then I was hooked, so I signed up for the whole year. I did it twice a week at the same time as school. As soon as I started competing in the Optimist, I changed clubs and went to the Cannes Yacht Club. There I did all my Optimist, Laser and 470 training, which I haven't given up since."
Having secured a scientific baccalaureate at school, his early ambition to join the Merchant Navy was replaced by another — to sail for France at an Olympic Games in the 470. The covid pandemic disrupted plans but success was still achieved.
"With my team-mate Lucie De Gennes, we won 4 World Youth Championships, 2 European Youth Championships and came 4th in the 2024 Senior European Championships too," said Matisse.
While the Olympics remains an ambition, his immediate focus is now on the Youth America's Cup as he embraces both challenges.
"What's certain is that the Olympic Games is part of the journey, but for me the ultimate goal is to be part of a team like Orient Express Racing Team. I want to be in the Cup. My main project is to be part of a challenger team and for me, the Olympic Games are just one important step. All the greatest skippers in each team are multiple Olympic medallists. So for me, I think it's an important step and important training. But what's certain is that I want to be a challenger.
"I've only had my Olympic career but I'm not closed-minded. I love sailing on all boats, and I'd already done foiling before, I loved it.
"For me, the America's Cup in general is the elite of world sailing. All the best sailors in the world are on this project and what's even more impressive, since we arrived, is the professionalism. It's all about sailing, but you can actually see the whole team behind this project. The whole team around the sailors and you just see that all that is reduced to the performance of a boat of 4 people, and that's what impressed me the most."
Trimmer, Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team for the Youth America's Cup
Born into a family of sailors, Theo Revil is one of the best sailors of his generation. Involved in a 49er Olympic preparation with Gaultier Tallieu, he has been selected to take part in the Youth America's Cup with Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team as a trimmer on the AC40.
For the Revils, sailing is a family affair. Theo's father, Xavier, raced a Tornado for many years and represented France at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. So it's hardly surprising that Theo, who grew up on the shores of Lake Aix-les-Bains, took up sailing, even though his father never pushed him.
"I tried several sports, including judo, which I practised for six or seven years. I took part in a few competitions. I also did a year of football and I tried handball, but not with a club", recalls Theo, who has always loved competition because it encourages him to "try to be better than the others, to understand why you're not better if you're not, and to work to win the next time.”
At the age of seven he sailed his first Optimist on the lake at Aix-les-Bains and took up racing six months later. In 2014, his family moved to La Baule. Theo did his final year of Optimist racing there before switching to the 29er at the Pôle Espoir in La Baule the following year. "I discovered a new playground with a lot more waves and wind. Before that, I'd only done one regatta in Corsica and I'd always sailed on inland waters. It was cool to perfect my learning.”
During his four years on a 29er, he took part in his first international regattas, started to train with international sailors and won his first title: World Youth Champion in 2017. Crowned European Champion in 2018, Theo, who was then in Sports Studies, thought the time was right to launch an Olympic campaign. "I enjoyed racing internationally and our good results made me want to continue. I dreamt of being an Olympian and it was cool to see that dream starting to come true". He switched to the 49er in 2018 while continuing his studies in STAPS, before doing a DPJEPS in Quiberon.
"I started on an Olympic preparation programme, but we stopped a year and a half ago. I then took a year's break before learning that there would be a Youth team in the America's Cup. I tried to find out how the selections would work before I was contacted." After successfully going through the various stages, Theo learned of his selection last December. "It's great to be part of it. I am likely to be the starboard trimmer, even if the positions haven't yet been defined. I'm really looking forward to sailing the AC40."
During the selection process at ENVSN in Quiberon, Theo got close to Gaultier Tallieu. Together, they decided to "put together a project for the 2028 Olympic Games and beyond" and started training at the end of 2023. "My first dream is still to compete in the Games. That's my main objective. But the Cup also makes me dream. It's something I'm considering as a second step. If it happens one day, it'll be really great, but it's not a goal in itself yet. On the other hand, if the opportunity arises one day, I'll have to seize it and winning it will become a goal."
Although he doesn't have any memories of his father's participation in the Olympic Games, Theo has more from his years of ocean racing. "Watching him sail around the world made me want to do crewed ocean racing one day and follow in his footsteps, or at least try to. I'd love to get to know the Southern Ocean one day, or just offshore sailing. I'm really interested in it, and I might turn to ocean racing if I don't manage to follow through on my Olympic dreams," confides Theo, who still lives in La Baule, where he spends most of his time on or in the water. "I surf and kite when I'm not sailing, I love being on the water".
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Date of birth: 13 February 2000
Place of birth: Rouen, France
His motto: "Hard work pays off".
What the America's Cup means to him: "It's one of the most complete projects. To win, you have to be good at everything: the sailors, the boat and its development, the infrastructure behind it and the shore team. You need competent people in every position, because it's a team victory. No one can do anything without the others."
A specific memory of the America's Cup: "One of the things that has impressed me the most, even though I was young at the time, is the comeback by the Americans against the New Zealanders in 2013. It was something almost improbable. It proves that sailors aren't the only ones who can make a difference at this level."