Through many yacht races, Mathieu Sannié has learnt to love the seabirds he encounters, so decided to support the urgent need to protect the oceans and their seabirds by promoting the actions of the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO, BirdLife in France) during the Transat 6.50 race which crosses the Atlantic from La Rochelle (France) to Salvador de Bahia (Brazil).

In 2003, Mathieu Sannié contacted the LPO to propose the idea of being its ambassador on the high seas to draw attention to problems such as pollution of the oceans and seabird conservation. "To take part in the conservation actions of the LPO, is to participate not only in the protection of habitats like oceans, but also to learn more about the seabirds that live there and to welcome them when they take refuge on our boats."

The name of Mathieu Sannié’s boat was the subject of a competition on the LPO website. 600 names were proposed with the jury choosing "STERNE", which translates as "Tern" in English, the symbol of BirdLife International.

STERNE left La Rochelle as one of the 72 boats participating in this 15th trans-Atlantic race on 17 September and has had a successful start. On arrival at Puerto Calero (Lanzarote, Canaries Islands) on 25 September the yacht was lying in 25th place overall.

The race continues on 8 October from the Canaries across the Atlantic, with a planned arrival in Brazil on 27 October. To follow the race's progress, visit the Transat website, where you can also send Mathieu Sannié an email of support.

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