One day, one woman: Aloïse Retornaz, engineer and sailor
In celebration of International Women’s Rights Day on 8 March, this week we are highlighting some of the female talent at the heart of France’s Orient Express Racing Team. Today we feature Aloïse Retornaz from Brest who is a trimmer on the Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team AC40 and an engineer in charge of process analysis.
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MEET ALOÏSE
What are your day-to-day duties with Orient Express Racing Team?
I'm both a sailor and an engineer. As a sailor, I'm a trimmer on the AC40. My job is to trim the sails to get the boat moving as fast as possible. As an engineer, I focus on process analysis with a continuous improvement approach. I've been working in this field for 8 years now and I'm delighted to be able to put my professional experience at the service of my sport.
What are the values that drive you?
Surpassing yourself, learning and performance.
What is your message on International Women's Rights Day? Specifically to young women?
That women can be whoever they want to be. We must pursue our dreams with determination. Push back our limits, dare to dream and remember that every success, big or small, contributes to the collective advancement of women. Together, we're creating a future where gender equality is a reality. Live life to the full, dream big!
How do you see the place of women in the world in general, and in sport in particular?
There are fewer and fewer gendered activities in France today. I've never felt less advantaged as a woman, even at engineering school where I was surrounded by men. In inshore sailing, we're seeing a real opening up. The first Women's America's Cup marks a turning point and I'm really happy and proud to be part of this adventure. There's still a long way to go before the Cup becomes mixed. It's up to us to show that we want to be part of it, that our level can be equal to or better than that of men, that we're capable of it and that we want it. We have to keep going in this direction to achieve equality. We've achieved it in the Olympics, where there are as many medals for women as for men. We have to fight to set an example for young girls, so that when they see us they can say to themselves that they can be whatever they want, an engineer, a doctor, create video games, do stratification, or any sport. We need to remove the limits we set ourselves to move even further towards gender diversity, both in the professional world and in sport.
Where does your passion for the sea come from?
My passion for the sea comes from Brittany, from my childhood and the influence of my father, who shares the same passion. Growing up surrounded by the beauty of the coast instilled in me a deep connection with the sea. The sea has always represented a sense of freedom, a feeling that accompanies me every day.
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BIOGRAPHY
After a fine Olympic career crowned by a bronze medal in the 470 at the Tokyo Olympic Games and a spell with SailGP, Aloïse Retornaz is a trimmer on the Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team AC40 and an engineer in charge of process analysis.
Originally from Brest, Aloïse discovered sailing at the age of six in the harbour, following in the footsteps of her two older sisters. "My beginnings were difficult, in the cold, wind and damp. I was a bit of a scaredy-cat. I didn't really like it at first, but my father pushed me a lot and I kept going". It all clicked for her a year later during an Optimist competition. "I really got hooked on the competition aspect. I loved battling it out on the water with my mates, the game aspect, the stress too. I used to get a knot in my stomach before setting off on a regatta. It gave me a bit of a boost because I was away from my family at the weekend. We went away to play on the water and race together. The atmosphere was great." Aloïse continued to sail Optimists until she was 11, before moving on to a bigger boat.
"I was super tall, so after two years in the Minimes, Maëlenne Lemaître, who is a little older than me, offered me the chance to sail double-handed with her in a 29er, before switching to the 420 just under two years later.” Sailing might have been front and centre, but Aloïse didn't neglect her studies – she enrolled at the school of Sports Studies in 5ème in Brest. A good pupil, her parents supported her with her training and racing on the side which led her to join the Pôle Espoir. In 2004, Faustine Merret came to her school with her Olympic medal. Aloïse began to dream big…
At the end of secondary school, she was faced with a choice: pursue high-level sport or study. She was lucky enough to be able to combine the two by entering ISEN, an engineering school. The results continued to follow on the sporting front alongside Maëlenne, with several international podium finishes. The two young women were then spotted by the French Sailing Federation and switched to the 470. After a successful experience in the Youth category, Aloïse changed crews in 2015, and again in 2017, teaming up with Camille Lecointre who wanted to return to competition after her first child.
European champions in 2019, silver medallists at the World Military Games and winners of the Sailing World Cup final, they won Sailor of the Year in 2019. Their Olympic preparation, extended by a year because of the pandemic, enabled them to work together, discover their weak points and prepare well for the Games. Their hard work paid off, as they left Japan with a bronze medal. "It was amazing and I was really proud. You don't really realise it at the time, but this medal represents 15 years of preparation, a spiral that never stops, a whirlwind of emotions with lots of highs and lows that drive you on a daily basis. These are some of the most powerful moments in my life that I'll remember for the rest of my life. It was great to be able to share it with all those who followed me". Aloïse has plenty of memories of her successful Olympics, including the Olympic rings that she had tattooed on her wrist two weeks after her return from Enoshima, so that "this slice of life will remain engraved". But she also has a wealth of sporting and technical experience. "Above all, it taught me to persevere and never give up. I've experienced some pretty intense emotional swings, with big endorphin peaks, hard times and moments of doubt. You also have to make a lot of sacrifices. When you're preparing for the Olympics, you really have to hang in there, never give up and manage to find a balance. It's important to have moments when you can enjoy yourself. I like socialising and seeing people. I'm happy to have shared so many adventures and holidays with friends from different backgrounds at the other end of the world, to have been able to discover other cultures and other ways of training", she explains, adding that the most important thing is to "above all know how to be professional and respect each other when sailing double-handed, without needing to be best friends".
In parallel, she took part in the first selections for the SailGP Women's Pathway Programme. She was selected, but did not enter the programme straight away to concentrate on the Olympic Games – she did however sail aboard the France SailGP Team F50 in Chicago in June 2022. A Sail Grand Prix she'll remember for the rest of her life. "It was really impressive in terms of speed. It was like sailing a Formula 1 car. SailGP taught me a lot about the race format. The organisation and logistics are out of all proportion to the Olympics, with huge technical teams. You have to learn to delegate while trying to control as many parameters as possible, and accept that you don't know everything about everything. The division of tasks is very strict. You have to try to do your best in the short time available. I've learnt a lot."
Unfortunately, the quota for women in each team was reduced from three to two and Aloïse did not continue with the adventure. This was a blow, even though she was preparing for Paris 2024 with Hippolyte Machetti.
Far from giving up, Aloïse began to dream of the America's Cup, her second childhood ambition after the Olympic Games. "The week I learned that the SailGP rules were changing, I watched a documentary on Netflix about the Cup won by the Australians in 1983. It put the stars back in my eyes."
After talking to Stephan Kandler, she set about finding a sponsor for the women's team alongside Paola Amar, with a view to the Women's America's Cup (WAC). They struck gold when L'Oréal Groupe came on board. Selected for the French Cup squad last December (and leaving her Olympic preparations behind after her partner stopped), the young athlete is now part of the Orient Express - L'Oréal Racing Team. "I'm going to work hard to get my place on board and do everything I can to win this first Women's America's Cup. Everyone will have a chance, as we'll be fighting on equal terms". Her dream is to one day see mixed crews aboard AC75s or future Cup boats, as the physical dimension is less predominant today. Meanwhile, Aloïse is continuing to gather experience on flying boats. The young woman, who has acquired a WASZP, also sails GC32s, ET26s and 69Fs. She also replaced a crew member injured from September to November last year in the Nacra 17 class.
Although she has a busy career in sport, Aloïse has chosen to work for Arkea on the side, thanks to a special contract for top-level athletes. "It's important for me, not just in the event of injury. It's a relief to have something on the side. I'm continuing with my sporting project because I want to and because it makes me dream, not because I have no choice. It gives me serenity and balance, and allows me to see something else. Sportsmen and women often focus on themselves, their bodies and their performance. It's interesting to have a foot in the real world, to live more simply and also to earn a living on the side". An IT engineer when she started out, she now spends around 50 days a year working in the bank's communications department, which is heavily involved in sports sponsorship, particularly sailing. "It's really interesting because I use my skills as an engineer in sailing and sponsorship, which I learnt through sailing, in my work".
When she's not working or sailing, Aloïse, who has moved to Barcelona, does "a lot of board sports, including wing and outdoor sports" and enjoys "spending time with friends and travelling".
Her view of the place of women in the world in general, and in sport in particular: "There are fewer and fewer gendered activities in France today. I've never felt less advantaged as a woman, even at engineering school where I was surrounded by men. In inshore sailing we're seeing a real opening up. The first Women's America's Cup marks a turning point and I'm really happy and proud to be part of this adventure. There's still a long way to go before the Cup becomes mixed. It's up to us to show that we want to be part of it, that our level can be equal to or better than that of the men, that we're capable of it and that we want it. We have to keep going in this direction to achieve equality. We've achieved it in the Olympics, where there are as many medals for women as for men. We have to fight to set an example for young girls, so that when they see us they realise that they can do whatever they want, be an engineer, a doctor, create video games, do stratification, or any sport. We need to remove the limits we set ourselves to move even further towards gender equality, in the professional world and in sport."
Date of birth: 3 February 1994
Place of birth: Brest, France
Her motto: "Failure is the source of all success".
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ALOÏSE AND THE AMERICA'S CUP
What the America's Cup means to her: "A childhood dream, from a little girl who never saw women on board".
A specific memory of the America's Cup: "The day they announced a Women's America's Cup".