Skipper-Instructor for "Cruise and Learn" cruises since he was 19, Olivier Pitras has left France about 20 years ago to sail the world. His combined passion for the sea, the mountains and virgin spaces soon led him to polar regions where he settled. He is the first French skipper to carry out the Arctic Ocean crossing under sail. After spending some time in Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, Alaska, Canada, Siberia and Greenland, he is now based in Tromsø in northern Norway. His never fed passion for the North keeps him open and curious of the world which surrounds him, and gives him many oportunities to learn more each day from these so called "hostile" areas which he choose as his favorite play-ground.

Olivier is currently sailing the Around North America Expedition, a one year sailing expedition through the North West Passage, down Alaska, British Colombia, the US West Coast, through Panama, up the US East Coast to Halifax and back to Norway to raise a better awareness on the effects of global warming.