Hard-working, determined, focussed and aggressive at the right and important moments: the talented and friendly Justine Mettraux combines all the classic qualities of successful athletes. She is neither it-girl nor superwoman - and yet she is a queen. Her realm is the world's oceans.
Vendée Globe bests in a row
The Swiss found the right mix for success in her first solo around the world. In eighth place overall, "Juju" Mettraux was the best woman at the tenth anniversary edition of the Vendée Globe, sailing into the top ten as the only female skipper in the strongest fleet in the history of the race.
Impressive: Justine Mettraux has sailed around the world in 76 days, 1 hour, 36 minutes and 52 seconds. The no-frills, performance-orientated Swiss woman took an incredible eleven days off the women's record set by Clarisse Crémer just four years ago. She also beat the time of the winner from four years ago (Yannick Bestaven) by four days with a six-year-old boat.
Justine Mettraux was the first non-French boat to finish among all the men and women in the 10th Vendée Globe. After Catherine Chabaud, Ellen MacArthur and Sam Davies, she is only the fourth woman to finish in the top ten in a Vendée Globe. She did so in a 2018 boat, raising the question: What would the primary school teacher, who became a professional sailor at an early age, be capable of with a new boat?
Five siblings, a formidable sailing quintet
Having grown up more on Lake Geneva than on its shores, Justine is one of the offspring of the Mettraux family, who are keen sailors. Uniquely, all five Mettraux siblings are formidable competitors on the water. This applies to older sister Elodie (40, Ocean Race), younger brother Bryan (34, America's Cup, SailGP) and the 32-year-old twins Laurane (SailGP) and Nelson (Motte, J/70).
At 38 years old, "Juju" is the second oldest member of the French-speaking Water Lover quintet. She first learned her craft through play, then on her first adventure cruises across the Atlantic and also at the famous Geneva Centre d'Entraìnement à la Régate (CER). She gained experience on Dona Bertarelli's D35 "LadyCat" for two years. In the 2013 Mini-Transat, she immediately stood out with second place. She pursued her offshore training like a wide-ranging course of study at various "universities".
Even then, she was accompanied by TeamWork, a sponsor that remains loyal to her to this day. Justine Mettraux cast off for her first Ocean Race with team "SCA" in 2014. The all-female crew sailed to sixth place under the direction of skipper Sam Davies. Neither Davies nor Mettraux could have guessed that a decade later, the Swiss woman would outperform the Brit in Sam Davies' favourite race, the Vendée Globe, with a boat four years her senior.
Click here for the race that is still runningwhere the youngest participant, Violette Dorange, is expected to cross the finish line on Sunday. As one of six female skippers in this edition, the Frenchwoman has brought a lot of freshness into play and can expect a very big Sunday reception.
Up to the Vendée Globe: one sailor, all disciplines
But back to Justine Mettraux: she showed her class eight years ago with fourth place in the Transat Jacques Vabre alongside Bertrand Delesne in the Class40, just as she impressed connoisseurs of the French solo elite competition with seventh place in the La Solitaire du Figaro 2017.
Justine Mettraux catapulted herself into the international limelight alongside Carolijn Brouwer and Marie Riou with Charles Caudrelier's Dongfeng Race Team. The three women are the historic first winners of the most important team race around the world. Justine Mettraux did not stop there and crowned herself the only woman to have won the classic team race around the world twice in 2023 with another Ocean Race triumph in the 11th Hour Racing Team.
Only then did she turn to the biggest solo challenge that sailing has to offer. Justine Mettraux competed in her first Vendée Globe as if she had never done anything else. It will be interesting to see which team can say yes to her on the Ocean Race Europe 2025 and Ocean Race 2027? The number of interested parties is likely to have increased further after the Vendée Globe.
The courted team player
In addition to Mettraux's quality, she is a great team player. She is not an eccentric loner. "She integrates easily without making any noise," says former Venéde Globe winner Vincent Riou about Justine Mettraux. The Imoca driver knows her well from his work at the French training centre Pôle Finistère. There are hardly any female sailors in the world who can match the hundreds of thousands of nautical miles in her stern water and her track record. At Justine Mettraux's age: none.
Justine Mettraux in a big interview
Justine, you set a new women's record at your Vendée Globe premiere, bringing the best non-French boat to the finish line. You came eighth in your premiere and are only the fourth woman to make it into the top ten. Which of these achievements is the most important to you?
I think the race result. That's what we look at when we go into a race like this.
Does the result correspond to your objective before the start of the race?
Yes, I wanted to finish in the top ten, but I was even more focussed on how I sailed the race.
What did you enjoy most about your race?
Good weather conditions, nice downwind sailing and the tactical games.
It was annoying that you had already torn up your Code 0 in the Atlantic...
I didn't miss it so much in the Southern Ocean, but it was more complicated on the way back. I had to make more sail changes. That costs energy. The J0 is a versatile sail that you can sail for a long time, even if it's not ideal. It was less comfortable without the J0.
In cloud chess in the Atlantic, for example, Boris lost miles to you. How did you come through better?
Luck is always involved in the Doldrums. You can analyse as much as you want. But everything can change so quickly there. One minute you think you're in a good position, but a few hours later it might be a terrible position.
How did you experience the so-called "Cape Town Express", which catapulted the leading boats rapidly to the Cape of Good Hope, but dropped one chaser after the other in light winds?
I was also a bit unfortunate because I had broken my J0. That had just happened before this kind of 'train'. So I missed it too. But with the experience of previous Ocean Races, I can say that sometimes there are big gaps between the boats, but then it's far from over. You can catch up again. There will be new weather opportunities. And they will compress the fleet again. Hopefully. Of course, that doesn't happen every time. This time I was lucky, I was able to catch up again in the Pacific.
The right timing is important." Justine Mettraux
The advance you made in December was impressive! You suddenly pulled away from Sam Davies and Clarisse Crémer in the deep Southern Ocean during the transition phase to the Pacific and were able to sail more than a thousand nautical miles ahead...
I managed to catch a weather front and stay in it for several days. That enabled me to escape. It was all a question of timing, being in the right place at the right time. I had to contend with very difficult conditions during those days, with winds of 40 to 45 knots when reaching. That was no fun, but this effort was crucial.
Who impressed you at the Vendée Globe?
The two leaders Yoann and Charlie certainly put in an incredible race. But that didn't surprise me. They are very powerful guys. I also enjoyed following Nicolas Lunven because he had a really astute race with a nice strategy. Even when you are challenged in the race yourself, you sometimes watch the others' races more closely. Because it is simply beautiful and clean sailing. I enjoyed watching him.
Where have you made other good decisions?
I think I had good crossings in the Doldrums. Both on the way down and at the end on the way back up. I also had a good move in the South Atlantic on the way back up when I took a bit more risk and went a bit more eastwards than Boris and Thomas Ruyant.
In other situations, however, you were simply luckier to be in the right place. Then it's a bit easier for you than for the others. Sometimes it's not what you do, but you're just a bit luckier with the conditions. Even if you're not far away from the others, the weather can be very different and with just a little more wind or a slightly different angle can make a big difference.
At the end of your race you had to fight again, because Sam Goodchild came quite close to you after the MacGyver repair of his exploded mainsail on the way to the finish...
Yes, the pressure was there. Especially because Sam was right behind me. I have to admit that I could have done without a boat that close at that point, especially as the conditions were very unstable: There was everything from 20 knots to a standstill. It was anything but easy.
The reward followed with the canal trip and the jubilant reception in Les Sables-d'Olonne...
This is incredible! The atmosphere was fantastic, it makes you really happy. The Vendée Globe is a demanding race, so sometimes you forget the scale of what you're doing.
I was happy with the overall performance." Justine Mettraux
Were you happy with your boat "Yoroshiko", officially "TeamWork - Team Snef", the old "Charal" built for Jérémie Beyou in 2018?
Yes, really satisfied. I certainly had some issues, but overall everything worked well. I was worried that I would have more problems with the electronics or the running gear, but everything held up well. Overall, I was happy with that, as well as with the overall performance.
With your many records and top performances at this Vendée Globe, this one almost went unnoticed: you were the first boat of an older generation to finish. To what extent was it even more challenging for you to sail at the front than for your opponents with the new boats?
The Imocas from my boat's generation are less comfortable and reach a lower top speed. There were times when I simply couldn't keep up with the newer boats. One or two knots difference doesn't seem like much, but over a longer period of time it makes a significant difference.
Are you more of a competitor than an adventurer?
Yes, I'm certainly more on the competitive side. Of course, there are always moments when the adventure catches you. Because we sail in difficult conditions and remote areas, you sometimes have to go into adventure mode. But the rest of the time I'm a competitor, trying to prepare and perform as professionally as possible.
You've never been alone at sea for so long. Did you have problems with loneliness?
I got on well, but there were moments when I wished I'd had someone on board.
You now have your own idea: will a woman be able to win this race one day?
I hope it happens one day. It's certainly tough. There are 40 really good boats with really good and experienced sailors. The level is still very high. I think it will happen when there are more women with real winning projects and new boats. In this edition, only Sam Davies had a new boat. There is already a female sailor, Elodie Bonnafous, who is getting a new boat. A sister ship to "Macif". That's already good news. Hopefully there will be more in the coming years.
You're talking about the future, you can now compare team races around the world like the Ocean Race and solo sailing from your own experience. Which do you like better?
I really enjoy both. But if I had to choose, I would go for team racing. I like the aspect of working together. There's a very strong feeling, a bond, when you achieve a goal together. And it's nice to share a race with other people. It's also interesting to work together with other people over long distances in all kinds of conditions.
Then you are a classic team player?
Yes, I generally find it important to work together with other people. When everything is going well and you have the feeling of forming a unit with other people, I really enjoy that. I've always mixed single-handed racing and racing with crews in my career. I think I will continue with that. The TeamWork - Team Snef project will continue in 2025 with double-handed and team racing. I'll be sailing with Xavier Macaire, who helped me with the weather in the run-up to this race.
But you haven't decided on a second Vendée Globe yet?
No. I went into this race with the decision that I had to do it once and then decide whether I would do it a second time. It's still too soon after the race. I need a bit more time to reflect, to explore the options and decide what I want to do. What is certain is that I want to take part in the next Ocean Race. That will come sooner than the next Vendée Globe. We'll see what happens after that.
You should be courted by several teams for the Ocean Race, can you choose? Which team are you interested in?
I will certainly be looking for a high-performance project. I've already competed in the race three times and won twice. I don't just want to take part. A strong team with a new boat would be important to me. Also the question: Who are the people? Are they people I want to sail with?
What kind of people do you like sailing with?
It's hard to say because the feeling is not easy to explain. But they are people who create a professional atmosphere and are nice at the same time.
That's what I love so much about this sport: you're constantly making progress." Justine Mettraux
Did you change yourself during your first solo race around the world?
Yes, of course. Spending so much time at sea is very rewarding. I've made progress in mastering the boat, got to know myself better and gained experience, especially in the areas of strategy and fiddling, which are not necessarily my strong points. This experience is valuable and makes a real difference, as demonstrated by Jean Le Cam, who is still competitive at the age of 65.
If we compare the teams in the top ten, does your team have to be placed towards the bottom in terms of budget and the associated opportunities?
It's hard to say. I don't know exactly how the individual teams are set up.
Let's assume that the big teams can work with five or six million euros a year...
We're certainly not there. But I still have a team of twelve people. I still have good resources to prepare myself properly. We're not one of the biggest projects, but we can't complain about the conditions either. Of course, teams like Macif or Arkéa have other resources.
How did you come up with your Imoca for the Vendée Globe?
I had been trying to build a project for a while. I think it was in 2021 when I thought 'Okay, we don't have the budget'. We couldn't find a boat, there were no more boats for sale. Then we were lucky because 'Charal' came a bit later. Beyou Racing wanted to keep the boat in their own racing stable. They looked around for an additional sponsor and a skipper. They contacted me. And others too. But we managed it with TeamWork.
You have a few nicknames, "Juju" for example, but also "Justine la machine". Do you like the latter?
I think it shows that I give 100 per cent in races. But even if I behave like that, I'm still a human being (laughs).
Do you know who came up with this term for you?
I think it's from my Mini-Transat days. I think it was Ian Lipinski, one of my competitors in the Mini-Transat.
I think I have a pretty good feel for the boat." Justine Mettraux
What do you see as your greatest strengths as a sailor?
I usually manage to sail boats quite quickly. In recent years, I've also tried to work a lot on strategy. And with Julien Villion on weather routing. He's a kind of specialist who has done double-handed races with me. He has also tried to help me to be well structured and make good decisions.
You learnt to make good decisions early on. You once said that your father trusted you very much, gave you a lot of freedom and let you make your own decisions. Is that also the source of your strength?
Yes, I think that's something very important. When you have five children, you can't control everyone and everything. But it was also the way he saw things. We always had the freedom to do things, to try things out. He was always convinced that it would be okay. That was nice.
Was it your eldest sister who sailed first - and the rest of you followed?
Yes, just like that. Elodie was the one who started sailing dinghies. The rest of us always sailed with my father. He had a cruising boat on the lake. We spent our holidays and weekends on it. That was also an important part of our story.
What kind of boat was that?
It started with a First 24, I think. Then the boats got a bit bigger as the family grew.
So you were already on the boat as a baby?
Yes, exactly. It started early...
Were you later competitors on the water as children and teenagers?
On the contrary. We have always supported each other. It's great that we all share this passion. I did the first Ocean Race with Elodie on "SCA". Today we all follow each other's courses.
When did you become a member of the Société Nautique, the home club of the two-time America's Cup winners from Team Alinghi?
Only later, when I was already sailing professionally. They encourage competitive sailors and that was a good support for me. They are a great nautical community.
The beauty of sailing is that everyone can find what they love." Justine Mettraux
You must have been about 16 years old when Alinghi caused a sporting sensation in Switzerland with its historic America's Cup victory in 2003. Did that inspire you?
Yes, that was big! A lot of the younger sailors like my brother Bryan and Arnaud Psarofaghis (ed.: both were members of Alinghi's 'Driving Group' in the challenger round for the 37th America's Cup) come from that generation of young people who followed that and are now sailors on the Alinghi team. But for me... I've never sailed dinghies, I've never been an inshore racer. I was always more on the offshore side of our sport.
Where do these different preferences come from?
It has to do with the different types of people. With what you like and what interests you. Like in my family. Like Bryan or Laurane, who sail in the Cup or the SailGP. Elodie and I sail more offshore. It depends on what you're looking for. For me it's more the endurance side. And I also like the contact with nature. That's part of my choice.
So you're more of a marathon woman?
Yes, exactly. While my sister Laurane prefers to be ashore in the evening. The nice thing about sailing is that everyone can find what they love. But it's difficult to be successful in both areas. There are only a few...
You studied education and could work as a primary school teacher. Let's build a bridge: Why is sailing a good sport for children and young people?
Because it teaches you to think and act independently. Even in the Optimist, you're on your own, maybe even in pairs. It's crazy for them to be their own driver at such a young age. That's really good! Sailing is a great sport with good values. At the Vendée Globe, we see so many children watching the race. Even if they don't sail themselves. And they can learn so much from this race.
Juju at the Vendée Globe finish - a look back at the arrival of the most successful female offshore sailor of the past decade:
