In the large family of sailors, there are those who sail to chase podiums, and those who sail to pass on their knowledge. Benoît Deutsch is one who brings others with him: young people, friends, “children of the wind” - sharing the joy of sailing simply for the pleasure of it.
"How did I discover sailing?" he smiles, pausing to think. "Above Grenoble, they built a dam, and a lake was created in 1962. I was born in 1968, and I spent my first summer at the Monteynard Lake campsite. Naturally, I then took up sailing."
So it was at Monteynard that it all began. His father, an engineer at the Grenoble research centre, helped set up the area’s first sailing school, accessible only by dirt roads. At just five years old, Benoît was already crossing the lake by boat in the mornings, before the wind became too strong in the afternoons. No licence, no markings, just instinct, trust from his parents, and complete freedom. “It was a different era. Parents were perhaps a little more relaxed…”
Very quickly, sailing became central to his life. “At the age of seven, I followed my brother to regattas.” Sundays were spent travelling between Annecy, Le Bourget and Lake Geneva. Monteynard became home to a small, close-knit community where older sailors trained the younger ones. It was there that Benoît met Didier Lenormand and Manu Chomel, lifelong friends with whom he still shares his passion. Soon, he began to coach. “My brother coached us when he was 18, then I did the same. We weren’t the best coaches in the world, but we had energy, empathy, and a sincere desire to help others grow. Not for us. For them.”
He began studying ophthalmology, until his girlfriend at the time challenged him: “What are you doing? I can’t see you in a shop selling glasses all day long.” He laughs as he remembers. “She was right. So I left to do a State Diploma at the ENV in Quiberon.” With diploma in hand, and heartbroken from the end of that relationship, a call from Lenormand changed everything: “We’re looking for someone in Morges.”
At 24, Benoît moved to Switzerland, and never left. He became a pillar of the community there: a passionate trainer, always focused on others. His energy was not that of a coach obsessed with victory, but of a mentor. For him, sailing is a way of life, a lesson in patience, an invisible link between generations. “We were taught very early the importance of sharing and passing on knowledge. Sailing has given us so much, we just want to give something back.”
For more than twenty years, Benoît has led the race committee on the D35 and TF35 circuits. Many of today’s young sailors first trained under his guidance. “I get involved to make the game as beautiful as possible. Sailing isn’t like football, where the pitch is marked out. You have to invent the course for each race. And that’s what fascinates me.”
He recalls his father: “He put me on a motorboat when I was very young. I spent days on the start boat, and I was always amazed.” Even today, he continues to work on his Pierrot, out of loyalty, friendship, and love of the sport.
And his strongest memories? “The storms we weathered… anxiety at the time, but unforgettable afterwards. Seeing kids win their first regattas, watching them flourish, building close-knit teams… and seeing them still together, thirty years later.” Because for Benoît, sailing is above all about friendships forged on the water that last long after the sails are stowed away.
One regatta, though, holds a special place in his heart: the Bol d’Or du Léman. This legendary race - a rite of passage — has been part of his life for decades, always raced with sailing schools. “The Bol is the lake’s great celebration. It’s legendary. I wanted young people to experience it: the course, the adrenaline of a huge fleet start, the magic of their first night on the lake…”
Victory had always eluded him. Until 15 June 2025. That day, aboard Fou du Vent, a Surprise, Benoît finally won the Bol d’Or after 27 hours of racing - with his young sailors. He wasn’t only on the podium; he was in their joy, in their eyes, part of a story that felt like the natural continuation of his life’s work. “We won with my coach, who trained me and gave us so much. Today, it’s our turn to give back to him,” said Victor Casas at the awards ceremony at the Société Nautique de Genève, as his mentor looked on with emotion.
And his dreams? They are not all neatly tucked away. “I would love to sail the Northwest Passage. When I was younger, I wanted to do the Mini Transat… but we were far from the sea and didn’t have the connections. Now, I’m less interested in racing, but that trip - yes, I’d love to do it. For the essence of the open sea. For adventure once again.” Then he adds, softly: “Sailing takes up a lot of space… sometimes at the expense of my family. I’m very lucky to be understood. It’s thanks to them that I can live out this passion.”
Benoît Deutsch is one of those rare sailors who, instead of racing ahead, has always made sure others could follow the wind. He grew up on a lake, trained generations of sailors, and kept alive the spark that makes you step aboard a boat one day… and never really get off again.
Benoît Deutsch, Principal Race Officer
