Isabelle Autissier

About Isabelle Autissier

Isabelle was born in 1956 in Paris. In 1980, she earned her degree in fisheries engineering in Rennes and worked for 10 years in La Rochelle for IFREMER. In 1987, she competed in her first offshore race for the Mini-transat and finished 3rd overall. Between 1990 and 2000, she participated in 4 solo around-the-world races, including 3 with stopovers and one Vendée Globe. In 1991, she became the first woman to embark on a solo around-the-world race, finishing in 7th place. Three years later, she broke the New York/San Francisco record.

In 1996, she began her second Vendée Globe, which she completed in 1997 without stopovers, and a year later she embarked on a fourth solo around-the-world race. Since 2000, her new challenges have been Greenland, Antarctica, South Georgia, and Tuamotu for navigation, and new sea/mountain expeditions in Antarctica, Alaska, and South Georgia.

Isabelle ventured into writing in 2006, publishing several works and co-authoring with Erik Orsenna. The sea is not her only playground; in 2004, 2007, and 2010, she participated in several stage projects, such as the sea-themed show “L’albatros.” WWF appointed her as an administrator in 2007, and in 2009 she became the president of the association.