3 sources · updated 28 Oct 2026
Philippe Hartz was born in Abidjan in 1982 to a French mother and a Danish father, and moved to France aged five. Passionate about sailing from childhood, he finished 11th at the French Optimist championship in 1997, then became French and European 420 champion in 2000.
He joined the French Navy in 2004 and served seventeen years among the combat swimmers (commando Hubert), later becoming an instructor at the diving school in Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer.
In 2021 he entered the professional Solitaire du Figaro circuit aboard the Figaro Bénéteau Marine nationale - Gican, backed by the Fondation de la Mer and in support of wounded soldiers. He plans to move to IMOCA from 2025, aiming at the 2028-2029 Vendée Globe.