The crew
It takes eight skilled and experienced sailors to handle Fleur de Passion. They also help run the logistics and coordinate the various projects. Depending on need, extra hands come into play; 12 to 20 people are milling aboard at any given time. True to the expedition's discover-and-share philosophy, experts with a whole range of different, yet complementary, skills (sailors, scientists, journalists, filmmakers, photographers and eco-volunteers) are joining in a collective effort to make this expedition a success.
Meet Fleur de Passion's crew right here. Find out what they're up to and follow their ups and downs as they sail from one marine hotspot to another.
List of the crew
en navigation Yffig Pleybert
Second Captain, 55 years oldYffig is just the kind of stalwart seadog any ambitious expedition needs. He grew up hauling sails and scrubbing down decks, before moving into the shipyards of Britanny, where he drilled, nailed and polished his way to the position of expert ketch-maker. Yffig knows the bones and belly of Fleur de Passion like the Gulf Steam knows the Atlantic. He's always busy tweaking her performance and energi [...]
en navigation Léo Leibovici
Cameraman and diver, 26 years oldLéo's passion has been photography since as long as he can remember. He didn't hesitate to leave his home country, France, when he was asked to shoot in Asia as a reporter after participating in a competition. Since that day, Léo fell in love with traveling. His adventures lead him to explore numerous countries. Among them: Brazil, Thailand, Nepal and India. During these journeys, he practiced [...]
en navigation Sabina Foeth
Onboard communication, 41 years oldTravel, sailing and photography have been Sabina's favourite pastimes for long. In 2005 she sails the remote southern oceans for the first time discovering the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia. Deeply touched by these magnificent and fragile regions she realizes the importance of being engaged in the protection of the oceans. In 2009 she finally decides to leave her job as a risk manager in [...]
en navigation Daniel Krupka
Project coordinator, 49 years oldDaniel is working in engineering and logistics for a high tech company. His has been diving for years and it is underwater where he discovered the importance to participate in ocean protection. His favourite sights are dancing manta rays. He joins Greenpeace in 2005 becoming a "local oceans campaigner" and giving many lectures all over France. He joins "The Changing Oceans Expedition" to campaign [...]
en navigation Giulio Genoni
Scientific coordinator, 53 years oldGiulio has loved the sea and has been sensitive to environmental protection since his childhood. He teaches biology and chemistry in a Lausanne, Switzerland, high school. He decided to take a 6-month sabbatical leave to join the Fleur de Passion crew as scientific coordinator. He has a PhD in zoology and a long experience in research. Also an independent consultant and scientific translator, he is [...]
en navigation Olivier Aulnette
Mechanic, 45 years oldIf you don't find Olivier below decks sliding a greasy hand around a wrench or coaxing a screw out of its cave, you'll find him on deck listening to music or explaining why he never has a problem. His secret? What he does, he does because he wants to, because he believes in it, not because it will earn him a dime or please a boss. Pirate or mechanic, it's sometimes hard to tell, but wearing either [...]
en navigation Caroline Sidler
Logistics Manager, 22 years oldCaroline Sidler is a young, dynamic jurist, passionate for adventure. Her enthusiasm and constant good mood have allowed her to overcome the difficulties that life at sea can bring. Caroline is onboard Fleur de Passion for the second season. After her first year as multimedia manager she is now in charge of supplies and ensures that all aboard feel at home and eat well. Caroline is also involved i [...]
en navigation Vincent Harel
Skipper, 29 years oldVincent joins the group of skippers from Fleur de Passion in May 2010. He has mostly sailed in the Atlantic, including the cold seas of Norway, on modern and tall ships such as the "Etoile Molène" in St Malo. In 2000 Vincent leaves his hometown St Malo to work as a youth worker in the suburbs of Paris, Nantes and Rennes. As well as being a professional sailor he has a diploma as teacher for chil [...]
Ronald Menzel
Director of the Antinea foundation, 36 years oldEven-tempered, ever smiling and forever optimistic, Ronald is the spirit that turned a million ideas into a ship and then inspired countless others to help him set sail for the sea of dreams. Thanks to his leadership, their hard work and everyone's undying faith, the Changing Oceans Expedition is now a reality. An economist by trade, Ronald made a name for himself as a project manager with Deutsch [...]
Pietro Godenzi
Skipper, President of the Antinea foundation, 43 years oldPietro is one of the driving forces behind the Changing Oceans Expedition. After years of sailing around the world "before it was too late", he came upon the expedition's ship Fleur de Passion and hesitated all of 2 minutes before buying her. His dream was to invite scientists, youngsters and eco-volunteers aboard and set off on long ocean journeys to give them a different experience of life. By j [...]
Kevin Macel-Le Brun
Bosco, 28 years oldKevin is from Brittany and is a trained skipper. He joins the professional crew of Fleur de Passion for the beginning of the season as second in command. Born on a sail boat he is naturally in his element. Kevin likes to travel and spends time playing music and drawing when he is not sailing.
David French
Head of strategic partnerships, 38 years oldAt an important junction in his life, David's career could have swung one of two ways: either he picked up his guitar and forever reveled in rock'n'roll, or he donned a neoprene suit and charged headfirst into an ocean of adventure, where he was more likely to lose an eardrum to biometric pressure than to destructive decibels. Guess what? He chose the latter. That said, he still strums and sings f [...]
Alexandra Barbot
Expedition Manager, 35 years oldUncovering the vestiges of human history below the surface of the sea is what gets Alex's blood pumping. But this underwater archaeologist is also a documentary scriptwriter and a dedicated environmentalist - skills that we could not pass up for the Changing Oceans Expedition. What's more, Alex has a knack for turning cryptic science into gripping articles readable to all. Because her ability to c [...]
Laure Frey
Manager life onboard, 25 years oldLaure only recently discovered the oceans. A native of Strasbourg and specialized in marketing, she decided to follow her passion for travel and discovering new cultures, and set off with Fleur de Passion. She ensures that everyone has a balanced diet so that they have the energy to dive and complete the scientific missions. She also ensures that all food and waste from the boat is sorted, recycle [...]
Gérald Mannaerts
Scientific manager - trainee, 25 years oldWhen Gerald is tired of sitting down and studying, he gazes out the window. Whether it's sunny or raining, everything turns into one big blue sea out there, and he takes off to explore, far and wide, deep and shallow. He is an invaluable help to the Changing Oceans Expedition as a volunteer setting up missions and participating in projects over the summer '09. Biologist, Gerald currently specializ [...]
Matteo Meli
Scientific manager - trainee, 26 years oldMatteo joined the Changing Oceans Expedition as a volunteer to help set up missions and carry out research throughout the summer '09. He's an oceanographer and is about to get a Masters in the marine environment from Marseille. His knowledge of the sea from a scientific point of view will be useful, clearly, but so will his understanding of the legal and economic aspects of ocean research often ov [...]
Sébastien Schwarz
Skipper, 35 years oldArdant and determined to do right by nature and the people he meets, Sebastien began life in the mountainous parts of France, helping delinquent teens turn a new leaf. Extreme sports was the secret to that success. Through parasailing he gave himself and many others a purpose, and even wings. France's most famous wind, the Mistral, a symbol of adventure and hope, was bound to blow him south eventu [...]
