SPEAKERS 2022

Rod Harris

Photographer

Rod came to yachting photography curious via a circuitous route requiring various skills that combine to make him virtually unique at what he does.

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Emily Caroe

Director, Mallory Group

Emily Caroe is a sport sponsorship, activation, and communications expert with over 25 years experience in the industry.

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Laura Ayres

Managing Director, Clipper Ventures

Laura is a progressive, senior leader in sport, responsible for Clipper Ventures’ complementary range of sailing and adventure brands which includes Clipper Round the World Yacht Race (…)

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Claire Sears

Claire joined Future Fibres in 2018 after graduating with a degree in aerospace engineering from Toronto Metropolitan University. 

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Patrick Condy

Scottish marine photography specialist now based on the Isle of Wight with a passion for telling the stories that most people don’t get to see.

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Alexia Barrier

Sailor - President at 4myplanet - CEO at Alexia Barrier Corp

Alexia has an impressive track record: a Vendée Globe, 15 transatlantic including 4 solo, more than 150,000 nautical miles.

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Francesca Capodanno

Head of communication, Barcolana Read More

Mark Somerville

Chief Operating Officer, Persico Marine

Originally from Auckland New Zealand where he studied and sailed competitively before leaving New Zealand to lead high profile race teams.

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Kellie Covington

Co-initiator, Sustainable Marine Alliance

Kellie has worked across the spectrum of the sailing industry, from teaching and coaching to Superyachts and Professional Race Teams.

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Ian Walker

UK General Manager, North Sails

Ian Walker is the General Manager of North Sails UK

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Lingling Liu

Founder Sports DAO

In recent years, Dr Lingling began to bring her vision and passion to help sports projects embrace blockchain technology and strategy, including her two favourite sports: football and sailing.

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David Graham

Chief Executive Officer, World Sailing

David Graham has served as Chief Executive Officer of World Sailing, the global governing body for the sport, since July 2020.

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Gianguido Girotti

Groupe Beneteau's Deputy CEO and Chief Executive Officer of its Boat division

Gianguido Girotti is Group Beneteau Deputy CEO & Boat division CEO

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Mark Jardine

Managing Editor

Mark has been managing sailing websites since 1996, always being at the forefront of technology, and now manages the combined Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com network.

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Clare G. Harrington

Rear Commodore, The New York Yacht Club

Photo © Dan Nerney  

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Cyril Abiteboul

Former managing director of Renault F1, now managing director of CDK Technologies

Cyril joined the Renault group in 2001 and became managing director of Renault F1. He is now managing director of CDK Technologies.

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Nic Douglass

Nic Douglass, also known as ‘Sailor Girl’, is an Australian commentator, presenter, public relations professional, multi-platform journalist and audio-visual all-rounder.

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Jonathan Duval

General Manager, Future Fibres

Jonathan is a composite rigging specialist and a passionate sailor. Part of the R&D Team at Future Fibres, he has been heading for many years most composite rigging developments for racing…

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Knut Frostad

President & CEO, Navico

A passionate, enthusiastic leader whose links with the Volvo Ocean Race date back to the 1993-94 when he was helmsman on Intrum Justitia. He led Innovation Kvaerner in 1997-98 and Djuice Dragons in 2001-02.

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Jonquil Hackenberg

Chair of The Magenta Project

Jonquil is consulting partner and Global Head of Sustainability & Climate Response at PA Consulting. She is Chair of The Magenta Project, a charity committed to diversity (…)

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Conrad Humphreys

Managing Director, Sport Environment

Conrad Humphreys is a former professional sailor that has competed in the Vendee Globe, the BT Global Challenge and the Whitbread (Ocean Race).

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Nat Shaver

Hull and Foils Concept Design Engineer, INEOS Britannia

Nat Shaver is hull and foils concept design engineer at INEOS Britannia.

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Andy Rice

Professional sailing journalist and commentator

Andy Rice is a full-time sailing journalist, commentator and marketing consultant.

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Imogen Dinham-Price

Sustainability Manager, IMOCA Class

Imogen specialised in sustainability at the University of Southampton. First taking her learnings to the agricultural sector before jumping across to the marine sector.

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Mike Sanderson

CEO, Doyle Sails International

Mike is a two time Ocean Race winner, veteran of three America’s Cup campaigns and was ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year in 2006.

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Bruno Giuntoli

Chief of Operations, Foiling SuMoth Challenge

Bruno is the founder and manager of the Foiling SuMoth Challenge, a student competition within Foiling Week pillars, aiming to promote sustainable practices into the marine industry, accessibility and gender equality.

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Ben Hazeldine

Sales Manager, Cyclops Marine

With a burning passion for sailing, Ben developed his knowledge and skills through years of competing and coaching at a world class level.

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Kate Cope

Director UK Doublehanded Series

Kate Cope is Director of the UK Doublehanded Series, an initiative to bring the UK Doublehanded community together for competitive racing and training.

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Thomas Tison

Founder, Thomas Tison Yacht Design & Engineering

Thomas Tison is a yacht designer and member of Ineos Britannia’s design team. 4 x America’s Cup involvements, foiling award nominee for the 650PRO in the foiling project category.

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Giovanni Cariboni

Giovanni Cariboni is the founder and CEO of Cariboni, a company that specialises in hydraulic systems and is involved in yacht racing at the highest level. 

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Bruno Dubois

Team Manager, France SailGP Team

Bruno is one of a select band of people who understands the challenges of sailing both as a professional sailor and as a team manager.

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Amy Munro

11th Hour Racing Team / 1 Degree Sustainability Officer

Amy Munro studied oceanography at the University of Southampton before embarking on a career in the sports industry, focusing on sustainability strategy creation and implementation.

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Laurence Mead

Laurence Mead is the Regatta Director of Cowes Week, one of the worlds biggest and oldest regattas.

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Erwan Faoucher

Research & Innovation Director, Group Beneteau

After obtaining in 2006 an engineering degree in material science (normandy) and a PhD in chemistry in 2010 from Liverpool University,

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Mario Caponnetto

Co-founder Caponnetto-Hueber SL

Passionate sailor in his youth, takes a degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at the University of Genova. Starts developing CFD codes for propellers, sails, hulls and wings in the late ’80.

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Luca Rizzotti

Founder and president, Foiling Week

Luca is a foiling ambassador. Founder and president of the Foiling Week, a unique community event with wide ranging programs in research and education.

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Simon Watin

Team leader, maritime department, VPLP Design

Simon serves as the team leader for the maritime department at VPLP Design.

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Jeremy Elliott

Head of North Design Services

After completing a Masters in Naval Architecture at the University of Southampton Jeremy worked with the Wolfson Unit for Marine Technology and several Americas Cup Teams before joining the design team at North Sails UK in 2005. 

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Sarah Allan

Partner, Penningtons Manches Cooper

Sarah Allan is a partner at Penningtons Manches Cooper specialising in maritime law with a substantial yacht practice. She has advised on matters relating to events, incidents and related contracts.

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Richard Moore

CEO - Alter Agency

Richard has been involved in the sport and entertainment marketing industry since 1992, when he started his career managing Carlsberg-Tetley’s partnership with the England Cricket Team. 

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Hugues de Turckheim

Engineer/Inventor, ACCWing

Hugues De Turckheim, Arts et Métiers engineer is passionate about fluid mechanics and innovation. 

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Philippe Marcovich

President, ACCWing

Philippe Marcovich is the owner of Sicomin, french manufacturer of Epoxy Systems and supplier of composite materials.

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Gary Owen

CEO Lineat Composites Ltd

Gary Owen manages the Carbon Fibre Circularity Alliance Project lead by the World Sailing Trust.

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Victoria Evans

Sports and Media Lawyer, World Record Holder

Victoria is a Partner at UK law firm ‘Level’. As a commercial lawyer with over ten years of experience practising in both the UK and Switzerland, she specialises in sports and media.

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Duncan Truswell

Strategic Lead Talent and Performance, Sport England

A former Laser sailor and coach, Duncan has worked for the Royal Yachting Association (2002-2014) within the British Sailing Team, responsible for the Junior and Youth Racing Programmes.

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Alexandra Rickham

Head of Sustainability, World Sailing

Alexandra Rickham is Head of Sustainability at World Sailing, a position she has held since March 2022.

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Nico Voorzee

Marine Sector Lead

Nico Voorzee, STRUCTeam’s Marine Sector Lead, has over 10 years of industry experience designing, manufacturing and delivering composite marine applications for the superyacht industry.

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Marco Nannini

Organiser of the Global Solo Challenge

Marco Nannini is the organiser of the Global Solo Challenge. After a career in banking in the City of London he decided 

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Meg Reilly

Brand & Marketing Consultant 

Meg Reilly is a circumnavigator, entrepreneur and marketing consultant. Before quitting her day job to race around the world, Meg worked on Madison Avenue in Global Corporate Communications at Y&R.

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Samia Bagdady

CEO, Saudi Sailing Federation

Samia is Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Sailing Federation under the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Sport in the Kingdom.

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Adrian Peet

VP Marine Development at Sela

Adrian is VP Marine Development at Sela, a leading Leisure and Entertainment Business.  He is responsible for advancing the maritime industry in Saudi Arabia, through marina developments, maritime events and iconic buildings.

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Ian Wooden

General Partner, Canada SailGP Team

Ian is a GP of Canada SailGP Limited Partnership, an investment fund created for the purposes of establishing ownership for accredited investors and institutional clients in Canada SailGP Team.

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Charlotte Kirk Elkjær

Chief Advisor at the City of Aarhus, Denmark

Charlotte Kirk Elkjær is a Chief Advisor at the City of Aarhus, Denmark where she works with attracting,

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Jean-Sébastien Chénier Proteau

CEO, Canada SailGP Team

Jean-Sébastien Chénier Proteau, CEO of Canada SailGP hails from Montreal and has been leading global sailing projects for more than a decade. 

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Shirley Robertson

Yacht Racing Forum Chair

Shirley Robertson OBE made history by becoming the first British woman to win Olympic Gold Medals at two consecutive Olympic Games.

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James Pleasance

Executive Director, World Match Racing Tour

James Pleasance is Executive Director for the World Match Racing Tour, the longest running global professional sailing series established in 2000 and one of seven events awarded Special Event status by World Sailing. 

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Victoria Low

World Sailing Trust's Women in Sailing Review

With three decades of experience in the yachting industry, Victoria currently heads up the World Sailing Trust, the official charity affiliated to the governing body of sailing.

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Gordon Ritchie

Manager Director, GR Marketing

With over 20 years working within the marketing and sponsorship industry, Gordon Ritchie has been involved with a range of diverse, accomplished, and standout projects.

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Don McIntyre

Founder and Race Chairman of the 2022 Golden Globe Race, 2023 Ocean Globe Race and the 2024 Mini Globe Race

Don McIntyre (65) is the founder and Race Chairman of the 2022 Golden Globe Race, 2023 Ocean Globe Race and the 2024 Mini Globe Race.

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Pietro Parmeggiani

Managing Director, PROtect Tapes

Pietro Parmeggiani is the Managing Director and owner of PROtect tapes, a young and tiny Italian company based in Rimini (Italy)

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Cliff Webb

CEO, 1080 Media TV

Cliff Webb is the founder of 1080 Media and Chairman of the Yachting Journalists’ Association (YJA).

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Johan Salén

Managing Director, The Ocean Race

Johan Salén is the Managing Director and a co-owner of The Ocean Race, an event he has been involved with for 30 years as a sailor, team project manager and leader of the event organising body.

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Dee Caffari

Pro Sailor

Dee Caffari MBE is the first woman to have sailed single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions and the only woman to have sailed non-stop around the world a total of three times.  

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Benoit Lebizay

Managing Partner, Gunboat

An avid sailor his whole life, Benoit Lebizay jumped ship from the finance industry to build yachts. He now manages Gunboat.

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Jean-Francois Cuzon

Owner, Pixel sur Mer

Jean-François CUZON is the founder and CEO of Pixel sur Mer, an innovation lab which designs innovative technologies for the greatest ocean races.

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Renaud Bañuls

Founder, Bañulsdesign

Renaud Bañuls is the founder of bañulsdesign, the naval architecture and engineering company chosen by Thomas Coville as principal designer of his new Sodebo Ultim 3.

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Nathalie Quéré

Founder, W-Consulting

Educated in brand, communication and sport marketing, Nathalie Quéré has extensive experience in global brand and communication strategy (…)

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Mateusz Kusznierewicz

Director, SSL Gold Cup

Mateusz Kusznierewicz – professional sailor. Olympic Champion, World Champion. ISAF Rolex World Sailor of The Year.

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Julien Pilate

Aero model analyst and sail designer, Alinghi Red Bull Racing

Julien Pilate is an engineer that has been working for North Technology Group for the last 15 years and took part in four America’s cup campaigns.

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Matthew Sheahan

Producer & founder PlanetSail. Chairman, Design & technology Symposium

Matthew Sheahan is the producer & founder of PlanetSail, a media dedicated to yacht racing. He will be the chairman of the Design & Technology Symposium.

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Alastair Fox

Chief of Events, World Sailing

Alastair Fox is the Director of Events at World Sailing, having developed within the organisation over the course of 15 years.

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Vincent Lauriot-Prévost

Founder, VPLP

In 1983, him and Marc Van Peteghem created the firm Van Peteghem Lauriot Prévost (VPLP Design) and designed their first racing boat : a 50’ multihull foiler Gerard Lambert for the OSTAR. They have not looked back since.

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Quentin Lucet

Naval Architect, VPLPdesign

Quentin Lucet, naval architect has been involved with VPLP since 2006 in numerous racing projects. The range of projects is really wide with a common factor : performance. Quentin has contributed to the conception of many projects from the « Tour de France » Diam 24 to Spindrift 2 for the Jules Vernes Trophy, IMOCA 60’, Multi 50, MOD…

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Andrew Pindar

Director at Pindar Sailing Partners Limited

As a sometime sailor and full time international businessman, Andrew Pindar became involved in the more serious side of yachting some forty years ago by sponsoring the North Sea Race from his home town of Scarborough to Ijmuiden, Holland.

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Anne-Cécile Turner

Co-founder of the Shift

Anne-Cécile is an award-winning sustainability expert. Experienced in driving positive change through international platforms, her work is supported by her impressive qualifications and training from The Tavistock Institute, Harvard’s Executive Leadership Program and WWF.

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