Navigator Kevin Escoffier will face trial for sexual assault in March 2026.

Aimed by **four complaints** for **sexual assault**, the French skipper **Kevin Escoffier** will be tried on **March 30, 2026** before the Lorient **Criminal Court** (Morbihan), confirmed by Eric Pouder, vice-prosecutor of the Breton City Republic to the **Agency France-Presse** (AFP) on **Friday, May 16**.

“I am delighted that Mr. Escoffier can finally answer for his actions before the courts,” stated M^e **Caroline Toby**, lawyer for one of the complainants.

In early **February**, the **45-year-old** Breton navigator was placed in police custody “For acts of sexual assault” on four complainants, as reported by the **Lorient prosecutor’s office**. This investigation follows a judicial inquiry launched in **July 2023** by the Paris prosecutor’s office, concerning an **alleged sexual assault** in May 2023 on a young woman in **Newport** (Rhode Island, United States).

A Defamation Trial

In **October 2023**, based on evidence presented, the **French Sailing Federation (FFVOILE)** suspended Escoffier from all competition for **eighteen months** and temporarily withdrew his license for **five years**. These measures were later canceled in **March 2024** due to a “Procedural vice.”

In **March 2025**, a **defamation trial** against the **Chained Duck** for an article published at the end of October 2023 was held before the **17th Chamber** of the **Paris Criminal Court**, initiated by the skipper, who refutes the allegations against him.

During the trial, one of the complainants, aged 32, who worked in the skipper’s team, stated that she was “Stunned” at the time of her **assault** in Newport. As she prepared for a hug with the skipper, he allegedly “pressed her breasts with his hands.” She recounted, “He started to palpate one buttock, then the other,” adding, “And his hand began to go up under my t-shirt.”

“Omerta” in the Middle of Sailing

The authors of the article defended the seriousness of their investigation, stating they had “recovered dozens of testimonies” and denounced the **”Omerta”** prevailing in sailing circles. The judgment for this part of the case is set to be rendered on **May 22, 2025**.

A naval engineer from a distinguished sailing family, **Kevin Escoffier** gained notoriety for nearly shipwrecking on **November 30, 2020**, during a storm near **Cape of Good Hope**. He famously jumped into his **survival raft** before being rescued by sailor **Jean Le Cam**.

Following intense media coverage of events in **June 2023**, Escoffier departed from the **Holcim-PRB** monohull team while participating in **The Ocean Race**, a round-the-world race featuring stops.

Kevin Escoffier boasts an impressive record in sailing: he won **The Ocean Race** in **2017-2018** and also secured victories in the **2005 Transat Jacques-Vabre** and the **Jules-Verne Trophy** in **2012** aboard **Maxi Banque Populaire V** with **Loïck Peyron**.