About Us

Who we are

Riviera Sailing Events, located in Monaco and founded by Jean-Philippe Cambay, will assist you in the realization of your nautical events. This Agency and Sailing School, affiliated to the FFV, uses sailing as a true vector of cohesion and sharing. We will take you on board modern or classic sailing boats and provide you with supervision and instruction by a team of professionals. Thanks to our wide range of products, we can build tailor-made nautical programs for event agencies, companies and individuals. These “large format” means of communication also make it possible to increase the visibility of your brand through displays and strengthen your communication campaigns. The management of your turnkey event is possible. We also provide additional services such as the management of your turnkey events, hotel transfers, catering, and the provision of interpreters… We put at your service, our expertise and our passion for sailing.

Our team

JEAN-PHILIPPE CAMBAY

I have inherited the passion for the sea from my dear father, who was teaching me how to sail since I was a little boy. Though he was a pilot,  his real passion was the sea and by consequence, astronomy and meteorology, both fundamentally linked to professional navigation.  I really wanted to know everything about the sea and the navigation. During those years I had the chance to meet extraordinary people with whom I shared the same passion: Loick Perron, Marc Thiercelin, Jean Pierre Dick. Like many singers sing: “they crossed the Seven Seas…” …Well, we did it! For real! I personally sailed the world’s oceans 6 times, including 3 times solo, I had the chance to take part of the most important races around the world like the ‘Route du Rhum” and “Transat des Alizes”…

ERIC JUAN

Son of fisherman has always considered the Mediterranean as his playground. For 25 years, he has worked as a chef in some of the most luxurious restaurants on the Côte d’Azur. At the same time, he completed a diploma course at CREPS in Antibes and became a sailing instructor then coach at the Nice Nautical Club sports school.

In 2016, he meets Jean-Philippe Cambay. He now works alongside him as a Skipper and Instructor and continues to practice as a cook as a trainer.

NATALIYA BISMUTH

Nataliya has been working for major marketing and event accounts for more than 10 years. She has acquired extensive experience working on internationally renowned projects such as the World Motor Show for the Volkswagen Group or Formula 1 in Sochi. Of Russian nationality, she joined the team to meet international demand and develop the Russian market.


MARC THIERCELIN

Offshore racing skipper, a contractor and a pedagogue. His incredible track record highlights his passion for navigation and his skills. To date, he has traveled:

– 5 solo World Tours (4 Vendée Globe) twice 2nd

– 4 complete tours of Antarctica, 4 Cape Horn solo (3rd, 1st, 3rd)
– 22 Transatlantic races
– 7 Solitaires du Figaro & 5 Tours de France Sailing

That’s more than 700,000 km of racing across all oceans. He is at the origin of the Blue Gold Foundation, which aims to promote and support employment in the maritime economy and the “maritime professions”. Its strengths are kindness, openness, pedagogy, coaching and sharing experiences.

A letter from our founder

Event company monaco

Thank you for taking time to have a look at my site. I introduce myself: my name is Jean Philippe Cambay and I am the founder of Riviera Sailing Events. I have inherited the passion for the sea from my dear father, who was teaching me how to sail since I was a little boy. Though he was a pilot, his real passion was the sea and by consequence, astronomy and meteorology, both fundamentally linked to professional navigation. I started to learn sailing on our family boat and then I graduated from UCPA and became officially an instructor in Benodet and in Corsica, too. I remember those years very well and clearly my passion was the sea but sailing was not enough for me and I wanted more. For that reason I started to get involved with windsurf/fun board and I liked it so much that I have reached high levels until I became instructor and if you think I stopped there….No, I didn’t! I wanted more and I started to explore the deep sea and I have done it professionally until I became a diving instructor. I really wanted to know everything about the sea and the navigation. During those years I had the chance to meet extraordinary people with whom I shared the same passion: Loick Perron, Marc Thiercelin, Jean Pierre Dick. Like many singers sing: “they crossed the Seven Seas…” …Well, we did it! For real! I personally sailed the world’s oceans 6 times, including 3 times solo, I had the chance to take part of the most important races around the world like the ‘Route du Rhum” and “Transat des Alizes” …

Nowadays, mostly while I am sailing alone, my memories are going back to the period after the university, when I first graduated in Maths and started a small IT company with some school friends. It was the very beginning of the IT business and we were doing well. Very soon I found myself settled down, had a good job, making good money but I was not happy and I felt like trapped . After 5 years, I left everything, sold my shares and I started to sail around the world and only after having crossed all Oceans , I dropped my anchor in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Now, after more than 20 years, when I am on my boat, breathing this air, looking at the sky, observing the color of the sea changing every day going from dark blue, touching all tunes of turquoise and ending up silver grey during sunset…I have no doubt I made the right decision and I am sure my father would be proud of me.

So many times, during a transat or a regatta, I have been living difficult situations with my team on board and I realised that it was excactly the same situation I had at my office in the oldies when I was a manager in real terms. It came naturally to my mind to associate the two context – office and boat – and I suddenly realized that the dinamic behind it is excactly the same.

At the office you have a project to work on with a deadline, you have issues to fix (can be externals like beating the competition or internals like a difficult member of the team who is slowing down the work), then you have all kind of other problems to take care of before you can achieve your goal.

At the sea, it is exactly the same thing: you need to reach a destination and there are obstacles to face, too (can be externals like a big storm or internals like a member of the team who is not cooperating) and plenty of other issues (something that breaks during the navigation, winds that change direction without any reason and many many others). I realized that what is called now “team building” was exactly what I have been doing since the last 35 years of my life. Trying to make the best out of my team, motivate them, make sure to create the perfect interaction and good communication. But also generate cooperation and build trust. This is the reason why I am a fond believer that team building is the key for success and sailing the methafore to describe what’s happening in real life.

Yours truly,

Jean Philippe