Olivier de Kersauson de Pennendreff is a French sailor and sailing champion.
Kersauson was the seventh child in a family of eight. While he was the only Kersauson not to have been born in Brittany, he was born on 20 July 1944 and brought up near Morlaix in a “provincial Catholic aristocracy with compulsory mass” as he calls it. Very early on, Olivier de Kersauson was to break away from his family. Without being inattentive, he was a pupil who did not settle in well to school life with the priests at boarding school. He passed through eleven schools altogether. After his final school exams and getting up to a lot of things, always on the coast, he began studying economics.
At the age of twenty-two, he met Eric Tabarly in Saint Malo. Shortly after, Eric invited him to do his military service on board. This opportunity stretched into eight years during which he was Tabarly’s mate.
In 1973-74, he was a crewmember on the yacht Pen Duick VI in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race.Together, they put on their boots and waterproofs, swallowing up the miles aboard the Pen Duicks. Very quickly, Olivier de Kersauson developed a passion for multihulls in which he became a pioneer. He was, in particular, the first to build a multihull of composite material, Ribourel, then a trimaran with long floaters, Poulain, at the helm of which he set in 1989-1990 the single-handed round the world speed record.
From 1992 onwards, he spent his time working towards the Jules Verne Trophy, the round the world crew record. Wearing the livery of Lyonnaise des Eaux - Dumez, in 1994, he raced around the world against Peter Blake. At the helm of his catamaran Enza, the New Zealander and his six-member crew managed to go around the world in 74 days and 22 hours, while the five Frenchmen took 77 days and five hours. Remaining determined, he made some improvements to his boat and wearing the livery of Sport Elec, took off again around the world. On 8 March 1997, Olivier de Kersauson and his six-man crew left Brest. They were to return triumphant 71 days, 14 hours, 22 minutes and 8 seconds later, improving by more than a week on Peyron’s first time.
In 2001, he named his giant trimaran Geronimo, "because Geronimo never gave up." It was at the helm of this boat that Olivier de Kersauson took the Jules Verne Trophy for the second time in 2004 (63 days, 13 hours, 59 minutes).
In January 2003, Kersauson claimed that his boat was attacked by a giant squid.
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Some of their strengths
Olivier de Kersauson has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Imaginative, Energetic, Extroverted, Intelligent, Creative, Compassionate, and Intense.
Intuitive and Imaginative
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Olivier de Kersauson is someone who is a highly intuitive, creative and imaginative person who is very loyal, caring and compassionate to others. A person who sees life as a journey not a destination.
Adaptable and Versatile
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Olivier de Kersauson well know them as someone who can be adaptable, flexible, and polite, like a flower or a sapling.
Ambitious and Forceful
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Olivier de Kersauson as someone who is ambitious, hard-working, determined, and intelligent.
A person who has a knack for identifying opportunities, has amazing concentration and focus, who can work independently, who likes starting new things, and who is somewhat of an intellectual.
Dynamic and Imaginative
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Olivier de Kersauson is someone who can bring a purifying element to situations, and who is a risk-taker with vision and imagination.
They are also someone who is charismatic, compassionate, and understanding, and who is interested in expressing themselves through writing, public speaking, or teaching.
Traditional and Patient
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Olivier de Kersauson tends to be someone who is a patient person that is very emotional, has a very sharp memory, has an ability to understand people, and who tends to be traditional and frugal.
Some of Olivier de Kersauson's challenges
While Olivier de Kersauson has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Olivier de Kersauson can be Emotional, Arrogant, Standoffish, Status-seeking, Complicated, Brusque, and Relentless.
Emotional and Standoffish
One of Olivier de Kersauson's key challenges is that they are someone who can be emotional and standoffish.
Relentless and Inflexible
Olivier de Kersauson is someone who can be relentless, obsessive, and inflexible, who can be confrontational with work colleagues, can have difficulty communicating feelings and be somewhat reclusive, and who can be self-destructive, overindulgent, and extravagant.
Sensitive and Money-oriented
Finally, Olivier de Kersauson also can have mood swings, be overly sensititive, and be a bit rigid and materialistic.
