Antoine Koch

Born in Paris in 1978, Antoine Koch learned to sail at the Centre nautique du cap Coz near Fouesnant. He raced the Transat AG2R in 1998 and the Solitaire du Figaro from 1999 to 2002, winning a stage in 2002 and again in 2009.

In 2002 he bought an IMOCA and finished 5th in the Route du Rhum, then raced the 2003 Transat Jacques-Vabre, but without a sponsor he gave up the 2004 Vendée Globe. He earned a mechanical engineering master's at UTC in 2003, then trained in naval architecture in Southampton. He went on to race the ORMA Sopra Group, Figaros and a Multi50.

From 2011 to 2013 he sailed with Sébastien Josse in the Gitana Team, notably on the MOD70 Gitana XV. From 2013 to 2017 he headed the team's design office, coordinating the design of the Ultim Gitana 17 to a Verdier plan.

Since 2018 he has worked in the IMOCA class: involved in Thomas Ruyant's projects, co-designing For People and Paprec Arkéa (2023) with Finot-Conq, then further sister-ships in 2025. In 2023 he co-skippered with Sam Goodchild, finishing 3rd in the Transat Jacques-Vabre. In 2026 he was entrusted with the plans of Maxi Banque populaire XV alongside Finot-Conq.