Focus on : Community life at ENSM

At the École nationale supérieure maritime, training is not limited to classrooms, embarkations or work placements. Community involvement is an integral part of student life, helping to forge the team spirit and leadership skills of future merchant navy officers and maritime engineers.

Sport, sailing, culture, solidarity, building a network… Wherever you study – Le Havre, Saint-Malo, Nantes or Marseille – every student has the opportunity to get involved in an association, reinforcing his or her time at ENSM.

“For me, the Bural is really essential for creating links between the ENSM classes. With all the events it organises, it really helps the L3s and the sailors who arrive during the year to integrate more easily. What I also like is that Bural offers a wide range of activities: sporting, cultural, festive and plenty of opportunities to share convivial moments. And beyond that, it creates a great atmosphere and a real sense of togetherness! That’s what makes it possible to meet new people and forge friendships that last.”

Lucie Bellot des Minières, L3 student at ENSM Nantes

Testimonial from Côme, a third-year student at ENSM and member of Hydro Mar’Sail :

“I’ve been racing with Hydro Mar’Sail for two years now, and the experience is simply incredible. Sailing in the Grand Surprise allows us to progress together in a demanding environment, alongside other enthusiasts, in an atmosphere that is both serious and friendly.

I’ve been lucky enough to take part in several major regattas with the team: Les Voiles du Maritime, organised by the Marseilles pilots, where we compete against professional crews from the maritime world; the Régate Centrale Méditerranée (RCM), a local event that’s always intense; and of course, the Florence Arthaud Challenge, which recently gave us a place on the podium…

And the adventure continues: in the coming weeks, we’ll be tackling the SNIM (Semaine Nautique Internationale de Méditerranée), a flagship regatta in the south, and above all the Course Croisière EDHEC, one of the biggest student sailing events. It’s a competition that pushes us to give the best of ourselves, both on the water and on land.

Hydro Mar’Sail isn’t just about sailing, it’s also a real adventure shared with a motivated and close-knit crew. It’s a chance to discover the demands of racing, the importance of cohesion and the satisfaction of seeing our efforts pay off. I can’t wait to see how far this voyage takes us!”

The Burals (Le Havre, Saint-Malo, Nantes and Marseille): each site has its own student office, which is the driving force behind student life. It organises festive, cultural and sporting events, unites the graduating classes and maintains links with former students and maritime professionals.

Sailing, a well-established tradition

• Hydr’Ocean (Nantes) and Hydro Mar’Sail (Marseille) give students the opportunity to sail throughout the year and take part in student and professional regattas such as the EDHEC Boat Race, the Hydro’s Cup and the SNIM.
• Hydro Sailing Team (Le Havre) represents the Le Havre site in sailing competitions and offers regular training sessions.

Sport for all

• Hydrodynamic’s (Nantes) and the Bureau des Sports (Marseille) provide access to a wide range of sporting activities, from team sports and university competitions to bodybuilding and squash.

A stronger professional network

• Student Port (Nantes) is the student branch of the Propeller Club, an association of players in the maritime world. Meetings with professionals, visits to shipyards and conferences enable students to develop their network.
• Hydros Alumni, present on all sites, brings together former students and offers job and work placement opportunities, discounts on shipping companies and access to the Marine Marchande Informations magazine.

Unique and committed projects

At the Marseille site, La Bouée is an association that focuses on the social and environmental issues associated with the maritime world. Its initiatives include
Organising conferences and raising awareness of the challenges of the maritime world with associations such as Clean My Calanques and SOS Méditerranée.

• Partnership with an old people’s home to maintain intergenerational links and share experiences of the sea.
• Collecting and redistributing clothes to people in difficulty.
• Taking part in meetings with the Seamen’s Club of Marseille to meet and support sailors in port.
• Organising a charity regatta bringing together Hydro sailors to support a charity.

At Rad’Lô (Marseille), a unique project where students organise survival experiments at sea to study living conditions on a raft.

“The choir is an opportunity to get together, laugh, improve, dance and live! Sailors sing less and less on board, but they still sing! We share these songs with our elders and our pilots. Our captains, our mates and our students. This tradition is part of the soul of the school and our profession, and must continue to be passed on to as many people as possible. It was an honour to direct this Marseillaise choir, to set it up in Le Havre and now to see these groups of friends flourish year after year. My best memories remain with my crew.”

Florian Scarpa, former conductor of the Marseille choir.

Joining an association means getting involved, learning, meeting people and having fun. Wherever you study, there’s a place for you !