CEO, Orient Express Sailing Team; Team Manager, France SailGP Team
Bruno Dubois
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. He is currently CEO of the Orient Express Sailing Team in the America’s Cup and Team Manager, France SailGP Team.
China’s Dongfeng Volvo Ocean Race win in 2018 surprised many and reflects Bruno’s ability to recruit, manage and motivate an international team of men and women, helping them to bond and exceed all expectations.
Bruno’s career blossomed when his relationship with the Whitbread Round the World Race began when he was invited to represent Belgium as skipper of Rucanor Sport in the 1989-90 edition of the race.
To complement his sailing skills, Bruno also began working as a sail-maker and was hired by North Sails in 1991.
Taking time out from North Sails, Bruno took on the role of Director for the Dongfeng Race Team (DFRT) in the 2014/15 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.
Following this, in 2015, he led Groupama Team France in the 35th America’s Cup with skipper Franck Cammas, before returning to the Ocean Race with Dongfeng Race Team for the 2017/18 edition – with a fantastic win on June 24, 2018.
A few weeks after the Dongfeng victory, Sir Russell Coutts contacted Bruno to ask him to join the newly created, purpose-led global racing league SailGP.
Starting out with the newly created China SailGP Team, who finished a highly respectable 3rd in Season 1, Bruno went on to join the France SailGP Team as Team Manager to work on maximising the teams performance on the water as well as commercial development. After two seasons, the teams hard work is paying off with a recent inaugural event win at the Spain Sail Grand Prix in Andalusia-Cadiz in September 2022 plus commercial partnerships for both the France Sail Grand Prix and the team with Range Rover, Acronis, Musto and Energy Observer.