Samuel Manuard, known as Sam Manuard, is a French naval architect and sailor. He comes from a family where his father and grandfather built their own boats, and he started by building a Mini 6.50 in which he took part in the 2001 Mini Transat. In 2003, three of the prototypes entered in the race were drawn by him.
A geophysics engineer by training, he learned naval architecture progressively through his builds and his sailing on boats of very varied sizes.
In offshore racing he has designed IMOCAs: Armel Tripon's L'Occitane en Provence for the 2020-2021 Vendée Globe, then boats for Phil Sharp, Jérémie Beyou (Charal II) and Samantha Davies (Initiatives-Cœur) for the 2024-2025 Vendée Globe. His designs are marked by scow bows and are regarded as stable and relatively easy to handle.
He works with shipyards, skippers and private clients alike: the 2022 version of the First 36 and the 2025 First 30 for Bénéteau, and the Pogo RC for Pogo Structures under the IRC rule. In 2023 he joined the Alinghi Red Bull Racing team for the America's Cup.
