Revealed during the last Vendée Globe, Violette Dorange is reaching a significant milestone in her career. The young sailor has announced that she will be joining Samantha Davies’ team for the 2025 season as a co-skipper. This partnership promises to be an exciting mix of performance and social commitment.
The breakout star of the 2024-2025 Vendée Globe
Before the start of the 10th Vendée Globe, Violette Dorange was relatively unknown to the general public. However, she won hearts with her unique way of sharing her journey. At just 23 years old, she entered the legendary race aboard a daggerboard yacht, making history as the youngest participant ever in the Vendée Globe. Throughout her voyage, she documented her daily life at sea through captivating videos on social media, sharing moments of joy, doubt, and intense effort. Her authenticity and fresh perspective attracted more than 500,000 followers on Instagram and Facebook, catapulting her adventure beyond the sailing world. This remarkable feat established her as a key figure in the Vendée Globe and a true ambassador of this demanding sport.
While her media success is undeniable, Dorange also proved her sailing talent by finishing 25th in the Vendée Globe after 90 days at sea—a remarkable performance for a first-time competitor. This achievement highlights her resilience and technical skills. By joining Samantha Davies’ team, she is poised to take her career to the next level, sailing on a state-of-the-art foiling monohull, a much more modern and high-performance vessel than her previous boat.
A promising duo for 2025
Sailing alongside Samantha Davies is both an honor and an incredible opportunity for Violette Dorange. The British sailor is a legend in the sport, with 40 transatlantic crossings and multiple Vendée Globe races under her belt. For Dorange, who fondly remembers getting Davies’ autograph on her t-shirt during the 2008/2009 Vendée Globe, this collaboration is a chance to learn from someone she considers her idol. “Having the opportunity to sail with Sam and benefit from her experience is incredible,” she enthused. The duo’s main goal will be the Transat Café L’Or (formerly the Transat Jacques Vabre), which will set sail from Le Havre on October 26, 2025.
Beyond competition, this partnership between Dorange and Davies aligns with a powerful social initiative. The Initiatives Cœur project combines offshore racing with a humanitarian mission, operating through sponsorships. For every new follower or social media share, donations are made to the Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque association, which helps children in need of heart surgery. Already an ambassador for the Apprentis d’Auteuil foundation since 2024, Dorange is perfectly in sync with this vision. “Our duo makes sense; we’ve always tried to balance performance with a social project,” explains Davies.
After a well-deserved rest in Lorient, Dorange will soon be back at sea with her new teammate. With a major sporting challenge ahead and a strong humanitarian commitment, 2025 looks to be a promising year for this young sailor who has seamlessly blended passion, performance, and purpose.