Marianna Lobato. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Team Paprec Arkéa

Mariana Lobato

Crew

Portugal

Date of birth: 23 December 1987
Place of birth: Lisbon, Portugal

Born into a sailing family in Portugal, Mariana Lobato began sailing at the age of eight and went on to race her first European Championship in the singlehanded under-16 Optimist class. Having worked her way up through larger dinghy classes like the Snipe and 420, and into Olympic classes like the 470, 49erFX, and Nacra 17, Lobato specialised in match racing – a discipline in which – sailing with Rita Gonçalves and Diana Neves – she represented her country at the London 2012 Olympic Games before going on to win the women’s match racing world title in 2013.

Since then she has been a regular face on racing GC32 and M32 catamarans and on the larger Ocean Fifty trimaran regatta circuit. As a qualified paramedic, Mariana was a member of the Portuguese Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team which was victorious in the VO65 class in the inaugural staging of The Ocean Race Europe in 2021.

Two years later, in 2023 Lobato took her first around-the-world edition of The Ocean Race onboard IMOCA Biotherm. Mariana trains crossfit five times a week, is a mother of three kids (9 years, 5 years and 8 months) and is married to also sailor Antonio Fontes. For Mariana, juggling life between kids, family organisation and offshore sailing is a good challenge!

Sailing highlights

  • 4th on The Ocean Race 2023 with Paul Meilhat
  • 2nd Pro Sailing Tour (Ocean50) in 2022
  • Winner of The Ocean Race Europe 2021 with Yoann Richomme onboard the VO65 Mirpuri Foundation
  • 2013 World Match Racing Champion
  • 2012 London Olympic Games

  • Date of birth: 23 December 1987
    Place of birth: Lisbon, Portugal

    Born into a sailing family in Portugal, Mariana Lobato began sailing at the age of eight and went on to race her first European Championship in the singlehanded under-16 Optimist class. Having worked her way up through larger dinghy classes like the Snipe and 420, and into Olympic classes like the 470, 49erFX, and Nacra 17, Lobato specialised in match racing – a discipline in which – sailing with Rita Gonçalves and Diana Neves – she represented her country at the London 2012 Olympic Games before going on to win the women’s match racing world title in 2013.

    Since then she has been a regular face on racing GC32 and M32 catamarans and on the larger Ocean Fifty trimaran regatta circuit. As a qualified paramedic, Mariana was a member of the Portuguese Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team which was victorious in the VO65 class in the inaugural staging of The Ocean Race Europe in 2021.

    Two years later, in 2023 Lobato took her first around-the-world edition of The Ocean Race onboard IMOCA Biotherm. Mariana trains crossfit five times a week, is a mother of three kids (9 years, 5 years and 8 months) and is married to also sailor Antonio Fontes. For Mariana, juggling life between kids, family organisation and offshore sailing is a good challenge!

    Sailing highlights

    • 4th on The Ocean Race 2023 with Paul Meilhat
    • 2nd Pro Sailing Tour (Ocean50) in 2022
    • Winner of The Ocean Race Europe 2021 with Yoann Richomme onboard the VO65 Mirpuri Foundation
    • 2013 World Match Racing Champion
    • 2012 London Olympic Games