Nicole Breault

Nicole Breault secured her place in sailing history by becoming the most successful woman in the U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship, achieving five victories of the Allegra Mertz Trophy across 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2025. Her competitive career began with two national championship wins in the International 420 class. An accomplished student-athlete, she graduated as class valedictorian in 1990 before attending Yale University, from which she graduated in 1994.

During her collegiate career, Breault was recognized as a Women’s All-American sailor during her sophomore year and received Honorable Mention for Coed All-American in both 1993 and 1994. After college, she dedicated herself fully to competitive sailing. Breault’s dominance in women’s match racing was further solidified by her multiple wins of the Allegra Mertz Trophy, often featuring undefeated runs throughout the U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2021.

Francis Yacht Club’s Jerome B. White Yachtsman of the Year award. Demonstrating her continued excellence, as of April 2021, Breault held the top ranking for women’s match racing in the United States and was ranked third globally. Her enduring impact in the sport has also led to her being shortlisted for the United States’ Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year in 2019 and the US Sailor of the Year Awards in 2022.