Thibault Julien

Sailor

• Nationality : French
• On board role : grinder

Thibault started sailing during the summer at the Valentin sailing school in Batz-sur-mer. At school, he entered the sailing division at the Jules Verne college in Le Pouliguen where he began training at the CNBPP under the watchful eye of Nicolas Loday. At around the same time, he met Erwan Fischer, who invited him along for some racing. In 2007, they began sailing together four times a week, marking the start of a partnership that would last 11 years and take them all the way to an Olympic preparation. In 2008, in 3ème at school, they joined the sport-study section of the sailing centre in La Baule at the Grand Air secondary school, where they sailed a 29er for four years coached by Fabrice Jaunet. In 2012, they moved on to the 49er together, coached by Françoise Lecourtois. 2016 was a high point for the team, with a 49er project and Diam24 campaign running in parallel.

With one foot on the ground and the other on a boat, from 2012-2016, Thibault studied roofing in the family business, graduating top of his class at the École Supérieur de Couverture in Angers. As the 6th generation of roofers in his family, he divides his time between his land-based career and the ocean. In the little time he has spare, Thibault is a volunteer lifeguard at the SNSM station in Le Croisic, something he has done since 2013.

Thibault stopped his Olympic preparations with Erwan in 2018 in the 49er. Only resuming his ambitions in 2022 with Margaux Billy on the Nacra17 with selection for the 2024 Olympic Games in Marseille in his sights.