Alex Detrey is a man of few words. Solid, calm, straightforward, deeply grounded. Quiet, without fuss or show, he prefers to put his energy in the right place, at the right time.
“I don’t talk much, but I observe a lot,” he says with a discreet smile and a bright, lively gaze. What he loves most is action. Working with his hands, staying close to what is real and alive. A carpenter by trade, he shapes wood with the same precision and care he brings to handling a TF35: always seeking balance, finesse, and efficiency. “I need to be active, to make things, not sit behind a desk.” He needs to feel the elements, execute the right move, rise to the challenge.
Alex discovered sailing through his family. “Our father got us started, me and my brother Yves. He had a boat, ran the junior section at the Montreux club, and took us all over the place.” Unlike most, Alex skipped the Optimist stage. He started straight on a dinghy (the Equipe), then moved on to cruising monohulls before diving into racing on Surprises, then D35s and TF35s—always in his own way.
“I’m a racer, no doubt. What I love is when the crew makes a difference. Not luck, but tactics, precision, teamwork.” Solo sailing? Not his thing. Long-distance races? Not really either—though he admits to having a soft spot for the 5 Jours du Léman. “I’ve done them four or five times. It’s stunning—the setting, the light, the one-design racing. I’ll do it again one day, it’s calling me.”
For Alex, racing is above all a team sport. “What I like is when everyone has a clear role, a shared responsibility to do it right together. If you miss, everyone misses.” On ZEN Too, he’s number 1. “I handle the foresail changes, some mainsail trim—cunningham, mast rotation. I manage the rake for foiling. It’s a pure maneuvers role.” Steady, focused, never wasting energy. A kind of zen in the middle of pressure.
When asked about a standout memory, his answer comes fast: “The 2019 Bol d’Or. The storm. Unbelievable—violent, unique. None of us expected that. Once was enough though, not twice…” But it’s the quiet moments that move him most—sailing at night, seeing the lake lights. The same peace he finds in the mountains, on telemarks or skis, far from competition, close to balance. It’s this passion for sailing, this search for harmony, that he’s eager to pass on to his family, who have always supported and followed him.
His professional journey reflects the same philosophy. After earning his carpentry diploma, he started his own company and managed around fifteen employees. But the paperwork pulled him away from the tangible. “I found myself stuck behind a computer. That wasn’t me anymore. Now I work alone, and that suits me.” Returning to the essentials, again and always.
His dreams? Maybe one day sailing a Maxi like Sodebo or Banque Populaire. But always as part of a crew, never solo. As for young sailors aspiring to turn professional, his view is clear-eyed: “Two years ago, I’d have said ‘go for it.’ Today things are shifting. Some programs want gym-trained athletes more than sailors. But sailing is still a complete sport, full of lessons. I’d recommend it to anyone.”
Alex isn’t out to impress. He just wants to stay true to himself. No mentors, no role models. “I like to do things my own way.” And he does— with rigor, simplicity, and a quiet strength that speaks volumes.
Alex Detrey, Number 1 on ZEN Too
