Our team
Damien Treutenaere
Experienced Skipper and sailing instructor
After several sailing excursions in Norway and on the East Coast of Greenland, Damien has joined the Karukinka association as skipper, to build on his passion for sailing in this part of the World.
Damien has been a qualified sailor for over 20 years. He holds a Captain 200 Sailing Diploma since 2007, and a BEES sailing 1st degree from 2004. He has also spent time in Scotland and Ireland in the field of aquaculture.
In addition to yacht deliveries in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and across the Atlantic, Damien has been teaching sailing for over 15 years, training sailors of various grades and experience.
Lauriane Lemasson
First mate and scientist
Field recordist, photographer and researcher (geography, ethnology and acoustics), she is specialist of the extreme south of Patagonia and she actually develops a new field of research in Finnmark (Norway) with the support of the French Ministry of Culture. She has been working for more than 10 years with indigenous people and has completed and led several scientific expeditions on land and at sea, one of them with the support of the UNESCO and the Chilean Navy in 2018 in the channels of the Biosphere Reserve of Cape Horn (autumn-winter).
She publishes articles, exhibits her photographs and field recordings, She gives scientific conferences and conferences for all audiences (Canada, South America, Russia, UK, Netherlands, France,…) and appears regularly in the media (e.g. Geo magazine, France Culture, podcasts,…). She is also a mechanic (Merchant Navy) and First Mate on board, alternating with Sébastien.
Sébastien Pons
First Mate
Trained as a geologist-volcanologist (ENS-Orsay), Sébastien has been interested since childhood in exploration exploits, polar expeditions, and more broadly, adventures linking the sea and the mountains.
Regularly on the seas during his professional activities, he holds the French CFBS.
Finally, his in-depth knowledge of mountains and his experience of trekking alone in many countries (Chile, Argentina, Canada, Indonesia, Iceland, …) make him an ideal guide for activities ashore.
He alternates on board with Lauriane.
Karukinka
Founded in 2014, the Karukinka association is a non-profit organization dedicated to polar and subpolar regions and carries out projects in favour of indigenous peoples, scientific research, and artistic creation.
