Daniel Gilard, born on 21 August 1949 in Riaillé, worked as a marine surveyor before becoming an offshore racing sailor, both solo and crewed.
He won the first Mini Transat in 1977 aboard the Serpentaire Petit Dauphin, and wrote a book about it with Jean Noli. In 1979 he entered the Mini Transat again and finished third on a Dufour T7, also named Petit Dauphin.
He went on to race the Course de l'Europe, the Twostar and the 1980 and 1984 English transatlantic races.
He was lost at sea on 23 October 1987, west of La Coruña, during La Baule-Dakar, which he was sailing double-handed with Halvard Mabire aboard Jet Service V.
