Marc Pajot (born 21 September 1953 in La Baule) 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 (See Volvo Ocean Race) in 1973.[1]
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:
Winner La Baule Dakar race 1980
Atlantic record holder in 1981
Winner singlehanded race Route du Rhum 1982
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:
French Kiss team 1987, Perth, Australia
Ville de Paris team 1992, San Diego, USA
France 2 team 1995, San Diego, USA
First America’s Cup Swiss team 2000, Auckland, NZ
Twice he succeeded in skippering the French challenge to the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup.
with French Kiss in 1987
with Ville de Paris in 1992
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
East to West transatlantic record holder on the Elf-Aquitainecatamaran in 1981 (9d 10h 6s 34c).
