Erwan Tabarly was born in Angers on 31 May 1974. Son of Patrick Tabarly, nephew of Éric Tabarly and cousin of Marie Tabarly, he became a professional skipper.
He made his name in the Mini 6.50 class, finishing 4th in the prototype category of the 1999 Mini Transat on Armor Lux with a stage win. He then raced many seasons in the Solitaire du Figaro: 3rd in 2011 on Nacarat and 4th overall in 2016 with a stage win.
In doubles he won the 2016 Transat AG2R with Thierry Chabagny on Gédimat, after finishing 2nd in 2012 with Éric Péron. He also took 2nd in the 2015 Transat Jacques-Vabre on Banque Populaire and won the 2013 Transat Bretagne-Martinique.
