Besson / Riou

Billy Besson defined the early era of the Nacra 17. With crew Marie Riou, he won the World Championship four years in a row, from 2013 to 2016, establishing the French boat as the team to beat as the mixed multihull entered the Olympic program.

Despite that dominance, the Rio 2016 Olympics proved cruel: hampered by injury, Besson and Riou could finish only sixth at the Games they had long been favourites for. It remains one of the sport's great what-ifs, though it did nothing to diminish a record of four straight world titles that few in any class can match.

Besson went on to become a leading figure in professional foiling, helming the France SailGP Team in the championship's early seasons. His instinctive, aggressive style and deep catamaran knowledge made him one of the most admired multihull sailors of his generation.

Marie Riou is one of France's most accomplished sailors, a four-time Nacra 17 World Champion alongside helm Billy Besson between 2013 and 2016. Her consistency and skill in the front of the boat were central to a partnership that dominated the class in its formative years.

Riou represented France in the Nacra 17 at the Rio 2016 Olympics, where the favoured pair were undone by injury and finished sixth. Even so, her four world titles place her among the most successful crews the class has produced.

A versatile and respected professional, Riou has competed at the highest levels of offshore and inshore racing beyond the Olympic scene, and remains a prominent ambassador for French sailing.