MONTREAL At just 17 years old, Jasmine Pernot is poised to become the youngest skipper, leading a crew of seven women in Quebec's inaugural St-Laurent 400 sailing race. This event, which marks a significant milestone for offshore racing in the province, is set to begin on August 6, 2026, in Tadoussac, located at the mouth of the Saguenay River, and will culminate in the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Pernot expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming race, stating, "Everyone has been looking forward to this race because it’s a format we haven’t had yet in Quebec." The St-Laurent 400 comprises a grueling 400-nautical-mile journey where competitors will be at sea for over 24 consecutive hours, a significant shift from shorter races where crews return to shore each night. “This time, we’ll be racing for more than 24 hours straight,” she noted during a training session at the Deux-Montagnes sailing club, situated northwest of Montreal.
The ambitious teenager hails from Thurso, a town to the east of Gatineau in western Quebec, and sailing was never initially part of her life plan. She stumbled upon the sport through Femina Jeunesse, a Quebec initiative offering free sailing training for girls aged 15 to 17. “My parents only found out afterward that they’d have to drive me to Quebec City four weekends in a row for sailing lessons,” she recalled with laughter. Although they were initially reluctant, they now recognize the value of her experiences. "Without the program, I believe I might never have stepped into a sailing school,” she shared, reflecting on the empowerment she gained from this opportunity.
Pernot was guided by mentor Daniel Bérubé, who she met through the sailing school. He played an instrumental role in helping her transform her ambitious idea of participating in the St-Laurent 400 into reality. Bérubé will serve as her second-in-command and tactician, providing crucial advice on navigating wind patterns and currents during the race, while also being the only male member of the crew.
The rest of Pernot's crew consists entirely of women, including a fellow Femina Jeunesse graduate, her best friend, and a friend she met while sailing in Bermuda, alongside Bérubé's partner. Pernot expressed pride in this all-female crew, receiving congratulations from peers for their impressive lineup. She will also stand out as one of only three female skippers at the starting line.
While this will be her first experience as a skipper in a competition of this scale, Pernot's extensive sailing experience — including trips to the Caribbean — has exposed her to persistent gender stereotypes within the sport. She remarked, “I’ve met people in the sailing world, and unfortunately, it’s still not uncommon for the men to do the sailing while the women are just there to cook and take pictures.” Despite this, she has witnessed many women who feel constrained in traditional roles and aspire to gain the same knowledge as their male counterparts. Her goal is to demonstrate that women are equally capable of taking charge on the water. “Our gender isn’t what’s going to stop us from doing this,” she asserted.
Pernot highlighted that sailing remains one of the rare Olympic sports where men and women compete together in mixed events and acknowledged the positive influence of successful female sailors, such as Justine Mettraux, the fastest woman in the upcoming 2024-25 Vendée Globe, and Violette Dorange, the youngest finisher of the around-the-world race. After the St-Laurent 400, Pernot plans to pursue marine transportation studies at the Institut maritime du Québec in Rimouski on the province’s Lower St. Lawrence coast, with her sights set on the Caribbean 600, a challenging 600-nautical-mile offshore race circling 11 Caribbean islands.
