Gautier: Loves speed

Gautier's unruffled exterior masks an intensely competitive nature, although it is the elements and his inner self rather than his competitors that he seeks to conquer.

In 1999 while competiting in the Jaques Vabre, he flipped his boat and had to be rescued, an incident which shook him up for some months afterwards.

Gautier is keen on all sports, in particular Formula One.

He rallies cars and karts and plays many sports such as squash.

He can talk as easily on Ayrton Senna as to Bernard Moitessier.

A resident of the French province of Brittany, the sailing centre of France, Gautier's knowledge of the weather makes him an excellent tactician and he likes to race in close contact.

He is also very technically proficient and was a member of the design team who built MacArthur's monohull, Kingfisher.

In 1999 he overturned in the Atlantic

Gautier is a previous winner of the well-known Solitaire du Figaro race but is best known by virtue of his single-handed efforts over longer distances.

Though he has enjoyed multihull sailing from a tender age, it was not until 1997 that he joined the French Orma trimaran racing circuit, seduced like many of France's top sailors by the power, the helming finesse and the speed potential.

Since then, he has devoted himself to his 60ft trimaran, Foncia.

Having won two Grands Prix in 2000 and finished 3rd in the trimaran championship, Gautier is counting on distinguishing himself again in 2001.

He has built an extremely close-knit team - bringing together old friends Loik Gallon, Ewen Le Clech, Philippe Peche with his English pupil, Ellen MacArthur.

Their boat, racing in its last season, is not the most techncally advanced.

But Gautier's knowledge and experience coupled with his well-honed crew make him among the favourites for this year's series.