Bruno Troublé, the path of a fortunate sailor
Even he can hardly believe it, and in 2025, he is reaching the shores of a strange new land: his own eighties. This tall, broad-shouldered man seems untouched by the relentless march of time. Life, which has not treated him too badly so far, continues to surprise him, with new adventures, dreamlike voyages, and opportunities to laugh. When he looks back over his long wake, he sees a parade of boats: from the dinghies of his youth to the sleek America’s Cup yachts and world championship monohulls. Alongside this fleet, a vibrant career unfolds: first as sales director during the windsurfing boom, then as founder of an events agency whose legacy includes the Louis Vuitton Cup, the transformation of the Champs-Élysées into an Olympic stadium, a regatta for business leaders, and a tall ship parade along the River Seine…
Originally from Versailles, the son of a jovial lawyer obsessed with the fleeting nature of life, Bruno Troublé was undeniably fortunate. Very early on, this underachiever from an upper-class background mastered the art of the helm and sail trimming. Naturally, he started in dinghies, which led him to the Olympic Games, but also in “liveaboards” as they were called at the time. His father owned a yacht back when this was a rare privilege.
While his sister founded the fashion brand Agnès B and made it a global name, Bruno Troublé was forging his own path. Fresh off a sixth-place finish at the 1968 Olympics, he applied to join Baron Marcel Bich’s team. The founder of the Bic brand was recruiting champions to launch France’s bid for the America’s Cup, the oldest sporting trophy in the world. For Bich, these high-stakes, sophisticated sailing duels were above all a way to establish his brand in the United States. For Troublé, the America’s Cup had been the holy grail of racing since his teenage years.
His application was rejected… which led Troublé to campaign for another Olympic bid. His inconsistent results had one upside: he finally earned a spot on the French Cup crew. With, as a result, a unique achievement: in 1980, he helms France 3 in the Challenger finals, the stage where contenders compete for the honor of facing the holder of the famous Cup.
On the water, Troublé is a skilled helmsman, rallying a group of passionate sailors together and racking up offshore racing trophies with them. He even makes the front page of the British press when his boat sinks mid-race during The Round the Island Race off the Isle of Wight, the UK’s most popular regatta event. True to his sailor’s heart, he crosses the Atlantic with his family aboard a cruising yacht, then narrowly escapes tragedy after falling overboard in the Adriatic. In 2007, in recognition of his service to the sport, he is inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame, the first and only Frenchman to receive this honor.
On land, Bruno Troublé steers his career with boldness and creativity. Baron Bich makes him commercial director of the Dufour yard, which he bought out a few years previously. With his infectious enthusiasm, Troublé throws himself into the incredible windsurfing boom in the early 1980s. He not only helps the Dufour and Bic brands to conquer the French and then European markets, but when windsurfing becomes an Olympic discipline at the Los Angeles Games, he persuades the IOC to adopt the Windglider, a German board that Dufour has just acquired. To the dismay of the Americans who invented this sport.
With his charm, connections, intelligence and contagious good humor, Troublé had everything needed to launch a successful events agency. He lived his childhood dream: reaching the heights of global sailing and becoming a member of the prestigious New York Yacht Club. He has rubbed shoulders – and often elbows – with business magnates, political leaders and sailing legends alike. With the same relaxed style and clear-headed self-awareness.
Ahead of his bow, as the sun sets on an extraordinary journey, the horizon is anything but empty: there are regattas with lifelong friends, gatherings in the Gulf of Morbihan aboard vintage sailboats, and expeditions on the schooner Tara, funded by his nephew and led by his son.
Bruno Troublé cannot quite believe that he is 80. 80 years of passion for these simple things: the sea, the wind, and the sail.
Olivier Pérétié
