Date of birth: 17 May 1982
Place of birth: La Garenne-Colombes, France
The discreet crow's feet that prolong his frank gaze betray the hours he spends scanning the horizon. Unless it's because he's been thinking about the world around him. Paul is not just an intelligent man and an outstanding competitor. He has turned his passion for sailing into a profession, without ever compromising his strong social and environmental convictions, which he has always defended just as hard as his place on the sporting chessboard.
Paul started sailing at a very early age, between the waters around Paris and the ocean off the coast of Brittany. He first honed his skills as a helmsman and tactician in an Olympic dinghy, but soon felt cramped between three buoys. He headed for the open sea. In the space of fifteen years, from almost nothing, he has become one of the most sought-after racers of his generation.
The Figaro years gave way to the IMOCA, a first Vendée Globe which forced him to retire in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but also a victorious Route du Rhum and a few successful seasons as luxury co-skipper which propelled him to the top of the IMOCA rankings.
At the helm of Biotherm since 2022, he is building a project with a human face, using his own style and method, surrounded by a close-knit team, and favouring race starts over hours spent in the yard. The sporting and technical programme he set himself in the space of a few months was ambitious: two circumnavigations in two years, the first crewed (The Ocean Race), the second solo and non-stop.
His 5th place in Les Sables d'Olonne after a Vendée Globe 2024-2025 that was optimal for his boat's performance, is the reward for all his efforts. Building on that momentum, he led a top-tier crew to victory in The Ocean Race Europe 2025, delivering an extraordinary campaign by winning nearly every leg of the race.
"I love this race format, this very intense pace which sometimes resembles a steamroller and which imposes a very strong collective dynamic,’ comments Paul. "We know how the event works, how it's organised, and there's also a part of the course that resembles the final of The Ocean Race. We're going there to perform, and we have the means to do so with a fine crew and a race profile that matches the boat's potential."
Looking ahead to The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026, Meilhat will sail under the slogan United by the Ocean. He’ll be joined by proven talent: co-skipper Mariana Lobato, his trusted teammate from The Ocean Race 2022-23, and Benjamin Ferré who sailed with him in three legs during their victorious 2025 European campaign.
Sailing highlights
- 1st place in The Ocean Race Europe 2025 with Biotherm
- 5th in the Vendée Globe 2024-2025 with Biotherm
- 4th in The Ocean Race 2023 with Biotherm
- IMOCA Champion 2021
- 2nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2021
- Winner of the Route du Rhum 2018
- Several seasons in the Figaro (best place 5th)
- Winner of the Transat AG2R 2014
