About Me

My name is Ambre and for while I followed the obvious path, but I felt something was missing. So in 2020, I left the 9-5 to explore the ocean and myself.

I wasn’t destined to be a sailor.

I was born in Paris, and my family moved to central Virginia when I was 10. I graduated from The University of Virginia with a degree in Economics and ran off to NYC to work in tech.

About three years ago, I left NYC in a blur of madness and ended up in the Florida Keys. I got the chance to volunteer at a sailing school where they taught me how to sail and let me live on one of their boats.

I was hooked.

I loved the freedom and peace of being on the water. Being out there, fully in present moment, where one becomes in tune with how the wind converses with the waves.

It was also terrifying, leaving all the comforts to step into the unknown. But the further away I got from the land and my comfort zone, the more I thrived.

And that’s why I decided to do the Mini Transat. Set off into the big blue Atlantic by myself on a tiny boat, the ultimate adventure. In a year, I managed to earn/raise the funds, buy the boat, move to France, refit the boat, do all the qualifying races, and finally sail 1000nm solo nonstop as my final qualifier…

But something happened.

I was about to enter the port after a victorious 9 days alone at sea, but a breaking wave caught my stern and pushed me out of the channel. Within minutes, I was on the rocks and my keel violently pierced through the boat. I had to jump overboard and drag myself to shore.

In an instant, everything came crashing down.

I went through a rollercoaster of emotions in the months that followed. I had given absolutely everything for this — there was no house, no job, or anything to go back to. I lost my bearings for a bit, but one thing always remained certain. I needed to keep sailing.

And that’s why I’m launching my campaign for the 2025 Mini Transat. Failure is part of success. What’s important is getting back up. I’ve learned so much about offshore sailing and myself in the last 6 months, I’m excited to keep going for another two years.

I hope that my journey sparks the curiosity, courage, and adventure that lays dormant in many of us. And maybe to step out of your comfort zone and take on your own personal ocean, whatever that may be for you.