In 2026, Profurl is proud to renew its partnership with Les Déferlantes Sailing Team, the 100% female offshore racing team founded by Sasha Lanièce.
This long-term collaboration reflects a shared vision: performance and technical excellence in the service of an ambitious project.
The announcement of this renewed partnership also offers an opportunity to look back on a memorable moment: the Class40’s christening, held in Le Havre in 2025.
A christening like no other: when the NEX2.5 became a symbol
Unable to break a bottle of champagne directly over the boat (a tradition naval architects tend to view with a certain skepticism!), the skippers opted for an alternative that was both ingenious and symbolic: christening the Profurl NEX2.5 furler.
This choice was far from incidental. The furler is a key performance component, greatly facilitating the furling and unfurling of headsails. Reliability, smooth operation, precision: the Profurl furler fully met the skippers’ expectations. What better symbol, then, than this essential technical element to embody the boat as a whole?
A sailing team born from strong conviction
At the origin of Les Déferlantes lies the vision of Sasha Lanièce. With a background in science and a deep commitment to sailing, she carries a clear ambition: encouraging women to dare.
Observing the underrepresentation of women in certain sports and many professional environments, she founded the first all-female offshore racing team.
Offshore racing also has a valuable distinguishing feature: it is one of the rare truly mixed sports. Men and women line up at the same starting line and stand on the same podium. The rules are identical, as are the routes, and weather conditions favor no one.
It is therefore an ideal arena to demonstrate that, given equal opportunities, performance levels can be equivalent.
Ultimately, this women’s empowerment project is not built on positive discrimination, but on passion, competence, and excellence.
Within her team, Sasha is of course not alone. In 2025, she recruited Karen Menuet as skipper of the Mini 6.50 No. 1053. This second boat is equipped with a Profurl NEX0.9 furler. Thanks to a perfectly sized setup, Karen can optimize her energy and maintain a high level of performance throughout every maneuver.
Becoming more deeply involved in women-led projects in 2026 is a source of pride for the Profurl team. Issues of equity matter to us, not as a stance, but as a matter of course.
Fair winds to Les Déferlantes. We are delighted to extend this adventure alongside you and look forward to supporting your future successes at sea.