Co-Skipper, Helmsman, and Team MM Sailing USA manager.

From Reunion Island, Matthieu discovered the sport at a young age when his family and him embarked on an amazing five-year sailing trip around the world. The incredible experience got him “hooked” on sailing and he could not wait to compete at a high level. Over the years he sailed on multiple boats starting with Hobie Cat 16. After joining the French national team, he quickly moved to F18, Tornado, all kind of multihulls, skiff and fast monohulls. From the beach cat to the 60 feet offshore Trimaran, Matt had the opportunity to ride some of the most amazing sail boats in the world with incredible sailors. These years of experience and winning made him an extremely competitive sailor. Although he is initially a French citizen, he has been training and living in the US since 2016 with his wife and their 3 kids.

Co-Skipper, Tactician, and Head of Performance at Team MM Sailing USA.

Growing up in the Azores in a sailing family, Leah Sweet developed a deep connection to the ocean from an early age. That passion turned into a career spanning over 65,000 nautical miles, including Southern Ocean crossings, competing in some of the sport’s most demanding disciplines. From IMOCA, VO65, and Class40 offshore racing to high-performance foiling, she has built a reputation as a resilient, technically skilled, and highly adaptable sailor. Alongside her offshore experience, she has also spent extensive time in the TP52 and J80 classes, as well as leading the development of a female foiling pathway as sailor and team manager for the Magenta Foiling Team, honing the precision, agility, and tactical awareness required for high-performance small-boat sailing. Leah's expertise extends beyond racing, her time working with superyachts refined her skills in vessel management, refit coordination, and high-level seamanship, all of which contribute to her ability to optimize performance under pressure. Now, alongside co-skipper and helm Matthieu Marfaing, she is channeling her experience into the Nacra 17, blending offshore endurance with the tactical intensity and physical demands of Olympic sailing. Their partnership is built on technical precision, adaptability, and a shared hunger for excellence, making them a duo set to turn heads and make waves on the campaign trail. Leah’s strengths lie in mental resilience, technical adaptability, and an unrelenting drive for self-improvement. She thrives in physically demanding conditions, embraces high-pressure decision-making, and is committed to refining every detail—whether optimizing boat speed, perfecting transitions and communication with Matthieu, or outmaneuvering competitors. Years of offshore experience have reinforced her ability to stay focused, problem-solve under extreme conditions, and maintain peak performance when it matters most. Beyond her own ambitions, Leah is deeply dedicated to shaping the next generation of sailors. Through her leadership in The Magenta Project and Magenta Foiling Team, she has been instrumental in developing pathways for young athletes, particularly women, to break into professional sailing. She believes in mentorship, knowledge-sharing, and pushing the limits of the sport, not just for herself, but for those who follow. The Olympic stage demands discipline, precision, and an unrelenting drive for excellence, qualities that Leah and has demonstrated throughout her career and is now bringing to the Nacra 17.

Chef designer, boat builder, Sailmaker, and Technical Expert at Team MM Sailing USA.

From France, Emmanuel is one of the most respected and renown boats designer/builders in the sailing world. He started his first boat design in 1996 when he launched his first Cirrus and he is launching in 2025 his most recent boat: the Cirrus R3 F18. Importantly, Emmanuel won the F18 world championships in 2003 and placed third at the 2020 F18 Worlds.