Sportive professionnel as an auto-entrepreneur?

I want to register in France, and continue my business which I had in Holland. I am a professional sailor and am being hired to race/sail on various sailboats, owned by sponsors or private owners. Will mostly work on a daily rate basis, or on a fixed fee for certain projects. Customers are mainly from abroad although in the future might have some locally in France. Although this will be the majority of my turnover, I will do some coaching (sailing teams) and the occasional boat maintenance job (in the colder months of the year). Turnover will be mostly fees and daily rate, costs will be low. I have done plenty of (re)reading and quite confident which ways to go, just before i push any go-button I would just like your feedback on the following.

1. Auto-entrepreneur seems to be the obvious choice, registered as Activites Liberales? Sportive professionnel in which case I will be connected to URSSAF and CIPAV?
2. If I would opt for paying my income tax “down the line” because of some future changes in my personal life, under which format would that be? artisanal/liberal/services?
3. A lot has been said about claiming expenses (fully clear). I do probably have to pre pay some travel for my job. If I claim this separately at my customer in cash or paid to a seperate acount would this be seen as turnover?