The appointment to her new office by Emmanuel Macron on 12 October is a further step in the career of Chabaud, who has been a politician for many years and has campaigned for the protection of the oceans, among other things. Most recently, she was a Member of the European Parliament.
From the university to the Atlantic
Catherine Chabaud got into sailing during her student years in Paris. Together with fellow students, she founded the "Spi Dauphiné" regatta, which is still a fixture in French student sailing today. After graduating, Chabaud initially worked as a journalist in radio and television. But her enthusiasm for sailing stayed with her.
From the early 1990s, Chabaud began to demonstrate her skills in offshore sailing regattas. It all began with her participation in the Mini-Transat 1991, in which she took 12th place. This was followed by intensive qualification and transfer voyages, during which she gained many nautical miles and valuable experience. In 1996, she started the Transat and finished an impressive 10th place after almost 10,000 nautical miles.
Record at the Vendée Globe
Her successes ultimately motivated the Frenchwoman to take part in the 1996/97 Vendée Globe, the ultimate challenge for single-handed sailors. With her "Whirlpool-Europe 2", Chabaud mastered the 24,300 nautical miles in 140 days and came sixth overall.
But that's not all, Chabaud made real sailing history: since then she has been the first woman to successfully complete this race.
Two years later, she continued her career by taking part in the Route du Rhum in the monohull classification and took second place.
Chabaud had to end her second participation in the Vendée Globe in 2001 prematurely with a broken mast - just before the finish.
From ocean racing to marine conservation
After the premature end of her second Vendée Globe, Catherine Chabaud officially announced the end of her sailing career in 2002 and retired from professional ocean sports. The reason she gave was that her experiences of increasing environmental pollution during her last circumnavigation had awakened in her the desire to work for the protection of the oceans in the future.
Chabaud then became involved in sustainability and marine conservation projects, participated in the "Océan et Climat" platform and took part in the "Grenelle de la Mer" in France. It initiated the "Sailing boat of the future" project to test bio-based materials such as flax fibres. It also held talks with race organisers about more ecological rules in regatta sport. This was followed in 2018 by an appeal to recognise the ocean as a common good of humanity.
Current Political career
Chabaud's formal move into politics began in 2010: she became a member of France's Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) (2010-2015) and was subsequently a delegate for the sea and coasts from 2016 to 2017. From 2019 to 2024, she was a member of the European Parliament for the "Mouvement Démocrate".
As a member of the Development Committee (DEVE) and deputy member of the Environment (ENVI) and Fisheries (PECH) Committees, she is committed to a sustainable blue economy and the protection of marine ecosystems.
Chabaud's return to the regatta stage in 2022 was remarkable: while still in parliament, she once again competed in the Route du Rhum with the "Cigare Rouge" and once again finished second in the monohull class.
Catherine Chabaud remained active in politics even after the end of her EU mandate in 2024. She is a member of the French Naval Academy and Vice President of the Institut Français de la Mer. There she networks science, business and administration in order to develop a more sustainable maritime policy.
Her long-standing commitment to marine conservation has now led to her appointment as Minister for the Sea and Fisheries by Emmanuel Macron on 12 October 2025.
