Virginie Hériot

Born into a sailing family Virginie Hériot became a pioneer of competitive yacht racing in the 1920s. In 1910 Hériot married the nobleman Viscount François Marie Haincque de Saint-Sénoch, with the couple spending their honeymoon on a yacht they had received as a wedding present. By the early 1920s they had separated, with Hériot now dedicating all her time to yachting, spending months on end aboard a luxury schooner. Throughout the decade she competed in more and more races, enjoying lots of success.

At the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics Hériot won gold as the captain of the L’Aile VI in the 8 metres class, becoming the first female skipper to do so in sailing at the Games. The Frenchwoman and her all-male crew clinched their victory by winning the seventh and final race of the series, becoming the only boat to record three race victories. Her success continued, winning race after race across Europe, leading her to be bestowed with multiple awards including the Legion of Honour and the Spanish Naval Merit. Hériot worked hard in promoting French sailing across the globe, in addition to supporting the Yacht Club de France. She was also a keen writer, publishing her own books as well as poetry.

In early 1932 Hériot was competing in a race in the Mediterranean when she was badly injured during a storm but refused to quit the regatta. In August of the same year she lost consciousness on a sailboat in the Arcachon regatta but eventually took to the start line. Sadly, however, this led to her premature death at the age of just 42 a few days later whilst onboard another boat. The Yacht Club de France honoured her memory by initiating the Coupe Virginie Hériot, an annual Dragon class race that has been held since 1946.