Philippe Jeantot was born on May 8, 1952, in Antananarivo, Madagascar, and is a French former deep sea diver who gained recognition as a sailor for his long-distance, single-handed racing and record-setting achievements.
He started his career as a deep sea diver, working on oil rigs, and in 1977, he participated in the Janus IV dive of the COMEX, during which Jacques Verpeaux and Gérard Vial broke the world record for deep diving, reaching a depth of 501 meters.
Jeantot became interested in sailing after reading Bernard Moitessier's book The Long Way, and after learning to sail, he built a 13.5-meter steel ketch, planning to sail single-handed around the world. After cruising for two years, he entered the first edition of the BOC Challenge in 1982, winning the race and breaking the previous record for a single-handed circumnavigation with a time of 159 days, 2 hours.
In 1984, Jeantot entered the OSTAR, sailing in a new catamaran, Credit Agricole II, but was forced to retire after a capsize. However, he saved the boat and entered the 1984 Quebec—St. Malo race, setting a new 24-hour speed record.
