Erica Lush Makes History, Crossing the Finish Line of Offshore Sailing's 'Tour De France'

56th La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec Leg 2 Start © Thomas Campion

American offshore sailor Erica Lush crossed the finish line of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 2025's third leg Friday, officially completing one of the world's most prestigious solo offshore sailing regattas. Lush was the third American to ever qualify and compete in the regatta. Finishing the race is a milestone for the Rhode Island native, and a major accomplishment for American offshore sailing.

Aboard Hope, her BENETEAU 3, Lush sailed nearly 2000 nautical miles around Western Europe single-handed in La Solitaire's three races. Competing against a fleet of the best of the best in the sport, each mile sailed added to the pathway Lush continues to forge for fellow sailors breaking into elite levels of offshore competition.

"It feels absolutely unreal to say that I achieved this," said Lush. "It took so much effort, determination, and discipline, but I have always said that all challenges can be tackled with a foundation of hope. Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way—together we are going to continue to make waves, showing the world what Americans can do in this sport."

Of the 34 sailors who started La Solitaire earlier this month, 31 finished all three legs. Lush completed the journey with a combined time of 13 days, four hours, 51 minutes, and 22 seconds. Battling exhaustion, avoiding injury, and navigating shifting weather conditions, Lush kept her composure, and had her sights locked on the final finish line.

Lush started training in France in January in an intense program, learning not only the intricacies of sailing these high-performance boats and navigating the local weather and waters, but also immersing herself in the local culture and learning a new language. She successfully qualified for the Solitaire in May following the Solo Maître CoQ race in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France. Soon after, Lush returned to train back in the United States and placed third in her class in the Bermuda 1-2, making a round trip to Bermuda from Newport, R.I. During her racing and training, Lush has also found time to coach college sailors at the Maine Maritime Academy and mentor other younger sailors, all while generating both financial support and awareness for her current campaign.

From the time she arrived in France to begin training, through the entirety of the race, Lush has shared the story of her journey with supporters back at home and around the world. As part of her mission to share what is possible, she gave followers a first hand account of the emotional and physical ups and downs of the campaign, not glossing over the difficulties she faced along the way. Nearly 50,000 people have followed Lush on social media, wracking up a quarter of a million views.

Erica now plans to return to her hometown of Jamestown, R.I. and map out her next adventure. She is committed to being a trailblazer in elite offshore sailing, and hopes to inspire more women and girls to get into the sport, and to ultimately re-establish the United States as a sailing powerhouse.

Throughout her journey, Lush has been supported by several companies and organizations:

Performance Sailing Fund of New York Yacht Club
Storm Trysail Club
Ocean Blue Sailing Foundation
Perry Institute for Marine Science
Reef Rescue Network
TGM Real Estate

Many incredible private donors have also generously supported this campaign. More information on Lush and how to support her can be found at LushSailing.com. To get updates from Erica, she can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Video footage from the race and the finish can be found on Lush's social media pages as well as those of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 2025.