Team | SP80

THE CO-FOUNDERS

When they met in 2016, Mayeul, Xavier & Benoît set themselves a crazy challenge: to build the fastest sailing boat in the world.

Today, this dream has come true with SP80, an adventure that brings together fifty people around the same goal: to reach 80 knots (150 km/h) solely powered by wind.

DISCOVER OUR STORY

THE CO-FOUNDERS

When they met in 2016, Mayeul, Xavier & Benoît set themselves a crazy challenge: to build the fastest sailing boat in the world.

Today, this dream has come true with SP80, an adventure that brings together fifty people around the same goal: to reach 80 knots (150 km/h) solely powered by wind.

DISCOVER OUR STORY

Mayeul van den Broek

CEO & Pilot

Mayeul has already acquired multiple experiences in various projects (Atlantic and Pacific crossings under sail, design of floating solar power plants in Japan, study of bio-sourced composites in Bangladesh). He is responsible for project management and relations with partners, but his engineering degree from the EPFL allows him to keep an eye on the technical aspects of the boat.

Benoit Gaudiot

COO & Pilot

Current owner of the World Sailing Speed Record for the 18 and under category (51 knots / 94,45 km/h) and former member of the French kitesurfing team, Benoît is the pilot of the SP80 boat. He is currently doing a master’s degree in fluid and solid mechanics at the EPFL, thus providing the link between SP80 and the school’s research laboratories. His experience of very high speed kitesurfing is essential for the design of the boat.

Xavier Lepercq

CTO

Xavier graduated from EPFL with a specialisation in structural mechanics in 2017 and is the chief engineer of SP80. His creativity, technical skills and extensive knowledge of high performance composites, allow him to master all technical aspects of the boat. He also practices kiteboarding, especially in foil with a personal top speed of over 40 knots.

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