Yann Delplace

Full sail to protect our oceans

By Anne Emellina 

Skipper of the legendary yacht French Kiss, this adopted Niçois has been sailing since childhood and made his passion his profession. He is never happier than when sailing the high seas but has also developed a sunscreen with zero impact on the marine environment. 

Yann Delplace won the 2012 classic transatlantic race, was runner-up in the European sailing championship and has sailed 60,000 miles in single-handed ocean races. The sea is his life, and buying French Kiss made a dream come true. After seeing an internet advert, he took joint ownership of this legendary yacht, helmed by Mark Pajot, which reached the 87 America’s Cup semi-finals. Now refitted and moored in the port of Nice, she is ready for the Antibes, Cannes, and Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez regattas. La French Kiss Sailing School aims to help as many people as possible get to know this fabulous boat – not forgetting the recently bought South Australia, which took part in the 1987 America’s Cup in Fremantle, Australia. Now moored alongside French Kiss, the aim is for the two yachts to train together.

An “ocean-friendly” cream

But this sea dog hailing from the north of France, sunburn-prone with his fair skin, embarked on another adventure in 2016: designing a sunscreen that respects the marine ecosystem – French Kiss SunCare. “Every year, 25,000 tonnes of sunscreens are dumped into the oceans, destroying the coral reefs. Being
a perfectionist, I wanted to create one that would be the best on the market in every respect. After extensive searching for a laboratory, he chose Carros-based Sofia Cosmétique because it could offer a Skin Safety-labelled vegan formula with no controversial filters and a Low Tox composition that works as soon as applied. Approved by independent medical centres, its antioxidant properties also help combat the first signs of ageing. Invisible UV barriers and environmentally harmless, the creams are Ecocert-Cosmos Organic certified – an environmental commitment guarantee.

Tackling the “plastic soup” problem

Meeting Mike Horn was a vital moment for Yann; the adventurer spoke to him about the overwhelming reality of ocean pollution, particularly the “plastic soup” comprising billions of microplastics, which poses a grave threat to coral reefs and flora and fauna more generally. The yachtsman and his team chose to work with Sempack, a company based near Sofia Cosmetics, an innovator in 100% recyclable, flexible, eco-friendly packaging. Opting for tubes that contain 80% less plastic and empty down to the last drop helps to reduce this pollution.

Why not do away with containers? The French Kiss SunCare team has designed sunscreen dispensers soon to be installed in yacht clubs in Monaco and Porquerolles, at Nice Airport, and some municipal swimming pools in Nice. The aim is to install them in all sailing clubs in France and on zodiacs. So many plans! French Kiss SunCare will sponsor a new yacht, helmed by Yann Delplace, in the 2026 Route du Rhum. “A huge advertising space on the starboard hull and 300m² sails will be offered to brands (pharmacy groups, sports shops) distributing the sunscreen, guaranteeing them exceptional visibility during this transatlantic race – France’s favourite. A win-win partnership!