Nicole Breault

Nicole Breault, a luminary in American sailing, has etched her name in the maritime record books as a four-time champion of the U.S. Women’s Open Championship. Hailing from Old Lyme, Connecticut, Breault’s nautical journey commenced at the Niantic Bay Yacht Club, where her passion for sailing first set sail. A graduate of Yale University, she navigated her academic and sailing pursuits alongside luminaries like Jonathan McKee, Steve Benjamin, and Dave Perry, the latter serving as her mentor in match-racing and sailing.

After a brief hiatus from teaching to compete in the 2007-08 single event Trials for the Beijing Olympics, Breault’s love for sailing rekindled. Jo Ann Fisher’s invitation to participate in the Sundance Cup in Texas marked a turning point, leading to their successful partnership in the Santa Maria Cup.

Breault’s ascendancy as a helmsman gathered momentum, propelling her to victory at the prestigious Nations Cup in Russia and clinching her inaugural US Women’s Match Racing Championship in Newport by the end of 2015. Subsequent years saw her consistently ranking within the world’s top 5, underscoring her prowess as one of the foremost figures in women’s match racing.

Sailing out of the esteemed St. Francis Yacht Club, Breault’s illustrious career includes triumphs at the ISAF Nations Cup, three U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championships, and the Mayors Cup. Her 2019 exploits, including a win at the California Dreamin Series and a top-eight finish at the Women’s Match Racing World Championship in Sweden, solidified her as a dominant force in the sailing world. As of 2021, Nicole Breault stands as a beacon of excellence, a master of the Racing Rules of Sailing, and a trailblazer in American sailing history.