Born on April 17, 2001, in Rochefort (Charente-Maritime), Violette climbed all the steps of offshore racing. French champion in the 420 class at 15, she crossed the Atlantic solo at 18 on the Mini Transat, then honed her skills on the Solitaire du Figaro, the school of great sailors.
At 23, she became the youngest female skipper to complete the Vendée Globe (solo, non-stop, and unassisted round-the-world race). In 2025, she joined Initiatives-Cœur alongside her lifelong idol, Samantha Davies, and achieved her first IMOCA podiums in 2026: 3rd in the 1000 Race and the Vendée Arctique, solo.
Achievements :
The youngest sailor to
complete the Vendée Globe
-
6 Transatlantic
-
2-time French Open 420 champion
2026
5th - Défi Azimut
3rd - Vendée Arctique
3rd - 1000 Race
2025
6th - Transat Café l’Or with Sam Davies
6th - Défi Azimut with Sam Davies
4th - Rolex Fastnet Race with Sam Davies
7th - Course des Caps with Sam Davies
25th - Vendée Globe
2024
13th - Défi Azimut
18th - New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne
18th - The Transat CIC
2023
23th - Retour à la Base
21th - Transat Jacques Vabre
13th - Défi Azimut
2022
4th - Sardinha Cup in doubles with Julien Pulvé
10th - Solitaire du Figaro
2021
19th - Solitaire du Figaro
9th - Double-handed Figaro transatlantic race with Alan Roberts
2020
30th - Solitaire du Figaro
2019
16th - Mini Transat
2018
3rd - Open 420 Youth World Championship
2017
2nd - Open 420 Youth World Championship
1st - French Open 420 Championship
2016
3rd - Open 420 Youth World Championship
1st - French Open 420 Championship
Crossing the Channel in an Optimist between the Isle of Wight and Cherbourg
See all the achievements
After eight years at the helm of the boat, two Vendée Globe races, and 369 children saved, Samantha Davies continues to write the Initiatives-Cœur story in a new role as a technical and sports coach. She remains actively involved as an ambassador for the Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque association.
See the video
Sam has all the support she needs to meet her goals. Whether it's engineering, electronics, outfitting or rigging, they know what they're doing.