Karen Leibovici is a French sailor born on 5 March 1971 in

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. With ...

Biography

Karen's career remains marked by March 13, 2005: that day, at 9:04 p.m., she became the fourth female skipper to complete the

Vendée Globe --> The Vendée Globe is a single-handed (solo) non-stop round the world yacht race. The race was founded by Philippe Jeantot in 1989, and since 1992 has taken place every four years. It is named after the Département of Vendée, in France, w ...

. She was subsequently awarded the Medal of Honour called the

Ordre du Mérite Maritime The ''Ordre du Mérite Maritime'' (French language, French for "Order of Maritime Merit") is a French order established on 9 February 1930 for services rendered by seafarers to recognise the risks involved and the services rendered by seamen, and ...

for her commitment to the protection of the environment.

Career highlights

1998: * 1st Mini Summer 1999: * Mini-Transat: abandonment 2000: * 1st of the Mini Barcelona * 2nd Triangle of the Sun * 1st Transmanche 2001 * 9th Transat 6.50 (La Rochelle-Salvador de Bahia) * 1st Mini Fastnet 2002 * Record crossing of the English Channel aboard Adrien with Jean-Luc Van Den Heede 2004 * 9th of the English Transat 2005 * 13th in the Vendée Globe out of 20 starters, on Benefic, the oldest of the boats involved, the famous "Red Cigare" (the former VDH boat) 2006 * 25th of the MAP trophy with the mini 6.50 tam tam No.546 in 2 j 03:27:51

References

1971 births Living people French female sailors (sport) Sportspeople from La Rochelle Officers of the Ordre du Mérite Maritime IMOCA 60 class sailors French Vendee Globe sailors 2004 Vendee Globe sailors Vendée Globe finishers Single-handed circumnavigating sailors {{France-yachtracing-bio-stub