Nicole Breault

Nicole Breault is American sailor who is a four-time winner of the U.S. Women’s Open Championship. As of 2021, she sails out of St. Francis Yacht Club.

Sailing history

Breault grew up in Old Lyme, Connecticut and graduated in 1990 as class valedictorian from Old Lyme High School.

She was two years old when she started sailing, and she grew up sailing with her parents, brother, and others. By age seven she had joined Niantic Bay Yacht Club and raced in the International 420 class in Long Island Sound and in world championships held in multiple countries. and 2021. In 2018, she was undefeated during the championship event held at St. Francis Yacht Club. She was again undefeated when she won in 2021; she sailed with Molly Carapiet and Karen Loutzenheiser during all four of her wins. Breault has raced in multiple classes including Lightnings, J/105. She prefers inshore one-design sailing, and sails in both match racing events and fleet racing events. As of April 2021, Breault was the top ranked women's matching race sailor in the United States and #3 in the world; in the open rankings she is ranked #7 in the United States and #39 in the world.

Sailing is in the family around Breault. Breault's husband, Bruce Stone, is a sailor and she has sailed with him at times serving either as skipper or main trimmer/tactician, or doing doublehanded races in San Francisco Bay when the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed her 2020 racing plans. and her brother Mike is also a sailor. Breault enjoys coaching sailing, and has started a Learn-to-Sail program for women at St. Francis Yacht Club. Breault was named the 2017 St. Francis Yacht Club's Jerome B. White Yachtsman of the Year, the first women to receive the honor. In 2022, Breault was announced as one of the shortlist for the 2021 US Sailor of the Year Awards.