The Fellowship
The Adventure Fellowship
They are sailors, guides, scientists, artists, photographers, engineers, adventurers, seasoned professionals or simply passionate souls. Together, they embody the spirit of POLAR-SAILS.
The Companions of LEATSA & LINNE form a community of women and men who bring life to our voyages.
Their names and roles are presented here as a tribute to their commitment, their expertise and their team spirit.
From the Atlantic to the pack ice, from the fjords of Norway to the glaciers of Greenland, the Companions write, season after season, the next chapters of this great journey.
Captain
Armand BERGERON
I grew up between the sea and the mountains, rocked by a life of adventure.
At 5, I was steering an Optimist; at 18, I became a sailing instructor; at 23, I crossed the Atlantic for the first time and began my captain’s training. Since then, my life has been turned toward the open sea.
From the Mediterranean to Svalbard, through the Norwegian fjords and Greenland, northern sailing has become my favourite playground.
Equally comfortable at sea, in a kayak, diving, in the mountains or observing wildlife, I love moving through demanding environments.
Sailing in the Arctic is a constant challenge, weather, ice, anchorages, safe routes, and that is precisely what drives me: offering authentic adventures, tailored to each crew.
Aurélien DUCROZ
For more than fifteen years now, I’ve split my life between the sea and the mountains.
A professional skier and two-time freeride world champion, I’ve spent my life chasing the most beautiful lines on the planet.
As an offshore racing skipper for the past fifteen years, it quickly became obvious to me that I needed to explore the mountains of the Arctic under sail.
My first sea-and-mountain expedition dates back to 2004, on the east coast of Greenland. Since then, dozens of other journeys have followed, everywhere the mountains meet the sea.
Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Svalbard have been, and still are, my exploration grounds for years.
In recent years, I’ve lived these adventures aboard Leatsa, an exceptional sailboat skippered by a professional team passionate about adventure and exploration.
I can’t wait to discover Linne and set off once again to explore Greenland from her deck.
UIAGM Guide
Blaise MARILLER
I am always ready and motivated for new adventures and the discovery of unknown horizons — the very essence of our work as guides.
In the mountains as at sea, a strong relationship is built on mutual trust.
With Polar-Sails, that trust allows us to fully embrace each experience and find solutions to the unexpected.
Every challenge becomes an opportunity, and every adventure a shared moment, rich, human and unforgettable.
Second-Cook
Christophe HENRY
A restaurateur and chef for twenty years, I’ve been sailing and practising water sports since childhood.
Now Second-Cook aboard LEATSA or LINNE, I bring these two passions together to offer you refined cuisine and a warm welcome throughout your Polar-SAILS expeditions.
Photographer & Guide
Emmanuel JUPPEAUX
Passionate about nature, wide-open spaces and imagery, joining the adventure of the sailing vessels LEATSA and LINNE quickly became an obvious choice.
My work as a photographer, combined with my hiking training, follows the same purpose: sharing the wonders of nature with as many people as possible.
Today, these two sailboats broaden my horizon even further, and I invite you to follow me aboard, to discover the wild beauty of the Arctic.
Captain
Frédéric PANGAUD
I was lucky to grow up with parents who were passionate about mountains and nature.
At 4, I skied my first slope; at 12, I took my first sailing lessons in Brittany; at 14, I climbed my first 4,000-metre peak.
So the ski–sail combination offered by Polar-Sails immediately resonated with me.
I feel naturally at ease at sea, but also with high-mountain guides and mountaineers, where high standards meet simplicity.
It’s also what I found in Georges’s projects, with whom the connection was obvious from the very beginning.
Sailing in polar regions is always a challenge, and that’s exactly what makes it so fascinating.
Shipowner
Georges DUFFAU
Very early on, I earned a “doctorate in passion for life,” which often led me far from home.
One day, a book and a few sails carried me to the Deep South — all the way to the Antarctic Peninsula. Harsh, dazzling, fascinating.
I returned with the desire to prepare a sailboat to share new adventures, this time in the Arctic.
That is how LEATSA was born, later joined, ten years on, by LINNE.
Stéphane PARENT
Originally from Arlon and a lover of forests and wide-open spaces, Stéphane Parent has been travelling across Scandinavia, Iceland and Canada for more than twenty-five years.
He ventures there on treks and bivouacs, on snowshoes, ski touring with a pulk, sea kayaking… always with a camera slung over his shoulder.
He refined his skills in wildlife photography with Philippe Moës, then during photographic expeditions led with Thomas Meunier (Norwegian Lapland, the Vosges…).
A certified Nature Guide from the Cercles des Naturalistes de Belgique, a packraft guide and holder of the Whitewater Rescue Recreational certification, Stéphane Parent organises, in collaboration with photographer Emmanuel Juppeaux, trips to Greenland and Svalbard aboard the sailing vessel LEATSA (Polar-Sails).
Xavier CARRARD
Since 1992, I have been guiding my clients to the four corners of the world.
But our planet is round, and it is the sea that connects its horizons.
So it was only natural for me to place my trust in Georges and Polar-Sails, just as he placed his trust in me during our ascent of Mont Blanc.
And the adventure continues…
Captain
Xavier DAVID
Captain since the very first days of the POLAR-SAILS adventure, I’ve shared ten years of intense sailing and unforgettable encounters in the Arctic.
Leatsa is a fine vessel!
Fair winds to Polar-Sails.
