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HERITAGE

The last of the big proas: TAHITI DOUCHE When development is no longer possible, change intervenes, said Alain Gliksman. This change gave us the craziest boats in nautical history: the proas. Here is the story of the last of these big boats...

By Philippe Echelle

In 1979-80, we believed we ROSIERE’s capsize on the start sailing and offshore racing. With was also the only French free- could already evaluate the deve- line of the ’82 Rhum signalled Michel Malinovski, he establi- lance journalist at the start of lopment of multihulls, and the the end of the match, and the shed the profession of journalist- 1960 Transat. The touch at the perspective of twenty years of proas were no longer allowed in tester. From Bateaux magazine helm, honed by heroic RORC western re-discovery led us to transatlantic races. On reflection, to editor in chief of Neptune, this races, and Olympic selections in believe that the next victory it is quite probable that all of gifted, meticulous dandy embo- the Flying Dutchman class, an would reward an inevitably revo- these boats lacked, not inge- died the position of the man of incisive pen and eye, a sharp lutionary machine. The proa nuity, but preparation and perfec- the sea. Flirting with being unfo- tooth; Alain was as comfortable concept was ready and waiting ting. The saga of the biggest sur- cussed, the romantic adventurer in editorial meetings or celebrity in the wings, and we witnessed vivor illustrates this era of pio- a creative proliferation. The neers, who invented speed on would jump on a plane after a call dinners, as in the cockpit of KRIT- diverse (mis)fortunes of AZU- the water. from Alain Colas, to skipper TER for the first Whitbread, LAO, GODIVA (Newick), LESTRA NARRAGANSETT (a converted aboard RAPH, or the memorable SPORT (Ollier), AZUREX, IT WILL BE CALLED TAHITI 12m JI) in a golden Trans-Pacific TOUCAN in the first OSTAR. A ETERNA … did nothing to Alain Gliksman is one of the race, or deliver a Nicholson 55’ to gentleman in cowboy boots, he consolidate its reputation. major memories of leisure the other side of the world! He succeeded in surpassing his

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Here is the famous proa in its trophy version, in the colours of St MARC IV; note the helmsman’s full helmet! (photo: Christian Février)

TAHITI DOUCHE’s first sail... A superb boat! (photos: Daniel Charles)

TAHITI in its original version, at the end of the Ipswich – Deauville delivery trip. (photo: Christian Février)

well-brought-up side whilst rea- new type of sailing boat (with G. ween the designer’s creative to meet the needs of a complete dily drawing on a prodigious tech- Ollier, Dick Newick and the young power and the demands of use at project, it contributed through its nical culture, without ever being Russ Brown), proposed a pilot sea, were absent. The boat was thoughtlessness to the adven- taken in by the pitfalls of the sea study which was unanimously extremely light when launched, ture’s failure. The reputation of the or destiny. A Route du Rhum and adopted. and very fast! Alas, the essential brand (Johnson) didn’t suffer from a somersault later during an test period was lacking, and the it; these lines are the proof! ’ AN IMPROBABLE ODYSSEY attempt on the Atlantic record reactions of one of the fastest sai- TRANSATS, SCARES AND aboard SEIKO/RTL/TIMEX The recently-created builder, ling machines of its time were (‘Chavirage en trimaran’, Nicolas Starberry, had the talents neces- going to be tested at sea. The RECONSTRUCTIONS Angel/Editions Pen Duick), the sary for the perfect artistic crea- relationship between the fiery Following a memorable Channel conclusion of a curious and secret tion of bold, complex shapes, but skipper and the architect with his crossing in the company of internal debate (between an not the experimental experience hardened character turned sour, Christian Février, Christine encyclopaedic sailing culture, the essential to excellence in boat- then murderous (Marc Van Capdevielle and Halvard Mabire spirit of innovation, and a limited building. The multihulls built in Peteghem), the newly conceived were in charge of the first tests, budget) led this Cartesian to a Ipswich were thus superb, but proa paying the cost of this oppo- conducted at the double by a meeting with a proa. Daniel the rules of the art of certain sition. As the conquering Halvard who was new to proas, Charles, a member of the very joints and other tricks of the trade, American hygiene industry hadn’t but not to fast and furious sailing! closed club of designers of this supposed to form the link bet- allowed a sufficiently large budget A few cracks later, a crew of

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HERITAGE

worked up about a historic mini tion has volunteered to restore the transat. Their energy and talent last example of this turbulent succeeded in convincing architectural family (after the des-

The last of the big proas awaits its rescuer on the hard standing.

The construction of TAHITI DOUCHE at Starberry in Ipswich (GB). (photo: Daniel Charles) vassed and faster, rigged as a sloop (!) it was taken over by Christian ocean racing heroes set off for La Augé and Daniel Dorléans for the Baule – Dakar and tried to tame the delivery trip to Plymouth. Passing sometimes unpredictable reac- the Raz de Sein at stratospheric tions of a 17-metre double-ended speeds seemed promising, but the machine; the skipper’s huge expe- ride was interrupted by the fracture rience did not adapt well to the of the part of the keel the new nocturnal scares of being caught mast was resting on! aback; the jamming of the rudders Gliksman; the record round truction of FUMÉE NOIRE at Guadeloupe was soon in the two Brest); one of the members is accomplices’ bag. This success already the agent for GODIVA, and led to the start of an upward spiral CHEERS is on the inventory of his- and triggered financing for toric monuments. The will is there, « “They passed me as if I Quebec – St Malo. The delivery the skills have been brought toge- was stopped...” (B. Peyron went well, but in the euphoria of ther, a French multihull builder has the start, a capricious wind shift put his hard standing at our dispo- aboard JAZ) » caught the boat aback, and flipped sal to accommodate it, but there it over! “They passed me as if I is major work to be done on the was stopped, and then set the float before it crosses the Atlantic consummated the divorce, without spinnaker!” (B. Peyron aboard and we see this beautiful boat sai- allowing the separation, which RECORD AT BREST JAZ) ling along the Mediterranean would be progressive. The attempt Failed Twostar 81, towed any old coasts again. EPILOGUE: SAVING THE LAST More than just a boat, it is a way on the Cape Verde – West Indies how, TAHITI was then half-pillaged OF THE BIG RACING PROAS of sailing and an architectural record was becalmed mid-Atlantic. in Brest before being once again Delivered to Rotterdam by cargo memory which must be preser- The qualification for the Twostar rebuilt at Port la Forêt in what was ship, TAHITI later returned to the to become the CDK boatyard. ved for future generations, as took place in the company of West Indies, where it had a few Resigned, Alain handed the reins these boats will never be built Christian Augé, who had just built dark hours, before being bought of the wild beast to his son Denis, again! ETERNA for J.M Vidal and had the by Jean-Claude Van Rymenant and Marc Lombard, who found in experience of an Atlantic crossing (SNSM boss at St Martin). The it a unique test bed for his inven- The proa is ready to be assem- as a family, on this machine! He Golden Oldies Multihulls associa- bled. It would be sailing very tive spirit. The avant-garde multi- was one of the rare people who soon... (photo: Daniel Charles) understood its mysteries. After hull caused sparks to fly in the having seen the two friends hug Brest Speed Week and beat the the Pointe des Chateaux time set by FUNAMBULE (G. (Guadeloupe) close to the basalt, Delage), at 23.37kts over 500m, without being able to bear away to before breaking its crossbeams tack (a particularity of proas), again! Later, finally perfected, Kersauson, not usually given to wary insurers prevented it taking pomposity, declared to Gliksman, part in the two-up Transat. Denis “I’ll fight anyone who says you’re obtained the fifth theoretical time in the 83 edition of La Baule – chicken!” Brought back home by a Dakar, before going to the trio of Jedi who put the boat aback Caribbean again. to empty the float whenever it sank too deeply (following hidden leaks), THEY PASSED ME AS IF TAHITI was completely re-interpre- I WAS STOPPED! ted by the Le Jeloux boatyard in La The Tellier brothers couldn’t see Trinité. Even more generously-can- such a prototype without getting

46 Multihulls World - #118 44-47 Patrimoine_MM147-US:PATRIMOINE 10/05/11 13:59 Page 47 ... I designed Tahiti Douche balance, at its launch, the boat weighed By Daniel Charles 2050kg without masts and appendages! During the night, the crew had painted the lain Gliksman had been a structure were totally different (sides parallel to name which had been kept secret; it caused remarkable ocean racer the centre of the hulls to give more volume in much hilarity... During the first sails, we easily Aand without a doubt the the extremities, forward sections which are reached 19 knots in a force 3, but my relations- most imaginative nautical journa- slimmer in the vertical plane than the horizon- hip with Alain was such that I didn’t follow the list of his generation. In 1979, no tal to create dynamic lift under acceleration). finalising for La Baule – Dakar. Halvard Mabire one in France apart from Allègre This proved to be very effective, avoiding the told me they had added a plumbing system to had any experience of multihulls, ‘nose dive’ at each acceleration of the other and Gliksman had had him build proas of that period. I was still living in Belgium right the boat in the case of a capsize, and he the disastrous giant trimaran and to go and supervise the construction, I was alarmed at the amount of water remaining GRAND LARGE, a very bad used to take the night ferry from Zeebrugge, in the tubes. After having fought to be paid, I memory! I was still working as a the FREE ENTERPRISE (which later sank). The seem to remember I was paid 9,000F for the naval architect, was interested in construction was soon interrupted by lack of plans – a pittance! With all these additions, the proas and was one of the very rare money, and the relationship with Gliksman proa was approaching 5 tonnes, which was far people to have sailed on one. The became strained; everything was a reason for too much; it had lost its main advantage! This solution was economical and fast. conflict. I was loudly insulted for maintaining At the beginning of 1980, that in the not too distant future, the Atlantic excess strained the appendages, which quickly Gliksman asked me to design him would be crossed under sail in less than six fell apart; the unstayed masts were too heavy a proa according to a pilot study I days! TAHITI had been designed to be as light and whipped. The architect in charge of the had presented to him. An English as possible, with a small sail area, but a good sloop conversion didn’t reinforce the mast foot friend was launching a boatyard in power to weight ratio. At the heart of the gene- area enough; it went through the hull! An incre- Ipswich, England, and seeing the ral idea was Alain’s commitment to supply the dible survey concluded that I had made a mis- possibility of a first order, made us carbon masts, whose weight was to be no take, as the scantlings were not strong enough a very reasonable offer. It had to be more than 80 kg. Now these profiles were (it had shown no weakness as a schooner). I built in four months, for the 1980 abandoned for financial reasons, and when the OSTAR; I had eleven days to draw aluminium tubes arrived, they each weighed still think that in other circumstances, TAHITI up the basic plans! The general 210kg and represented 20% of the weight of would have obtained excellent results. At the architecture was close to that of the bare hull! The moulded ply construction time, no skipper in France was aware of the CHEERS, but the hulls and the was good, despite a limited budget. On the strict weight limits of multihulls.

swollen slightly, they were jammed in their cases. The weather was still just as bad; we were three days from Horta, where a stop was Eight fragments of TAHITI essential. Sailing just with the sheets, Halvard’s By Christine Capdevielle sea sense was precious. I remember the two-week stopover in the Azores, where we waited for the aluminium e I remember the first exchanges bet- tral hull, which smelt of oil and had a slippery daggerboards manufactured in France. The boys ween the architect and the skipper, in the floor. Halvard at the tiller (directly connected to played chess in the hotel. I met up with Othon Jautumn of 1979: it would be a proa, the rudder) wanted to test the boat before the again, in his tiny workshop. He engraved sperm about 17 metres long, built in wood-epoxy, light start! With me on the sheets, we went very whale teeth and patiently taught me the tech- and with a small sail area, with two unstayed fast, nobody saw us and it was really exciting, nique, with steady, precise movements. We masts. It would be beautiful, and sail fast. except for crossing the trampoline under the were taciturn, cut off from the world; the break Iremember a visit to the yard in January 1980. geysers to close a hatch which threatened to fill was wonderful and unplanned. The day before We took the night ferry from Zeebrugge; the the float... In the evening, in front of the harbour our departure, he drew TAHITI under sail, for structure was taking shape, the two upside entrance, the crew of ROYALE let us pass, me. down hulls were built next to each other. A saying that we were less manoeuvrable – which I remember leaving for Dakar. The fleet had frame every sixty centimetres, stringers in was perfectly true! We were tired, salty and wild already arrived, a long time ago, but we wanted spruce, and soon twenty thousand parts in six with delight. to finish the event. 1 was going to discover the different woods would be assembled with a I remember the first hours of a race aboard a African continent by sea! December 1980, my hundred and twenty thousand staples, submer- proa which was so heavy it was no longer the bare feet frozen in my whitened deck shoes, I ged in the epoxy. The beauty of the hulls could same. To be sure, there were four of us aboard, landed in Paris, which was glistening in the already be seen. but as Alain couldn’t forget the capsize of his tri- snow. Christmas was approaching, I just wan- I remember the final preparations before the maran, he had overloaded it with equipment to ted to wind back everything to the first days, like delivery trip to France. The difficulty of perfec- make it unsinkable and it suffered from excess the story of a great love. ting the deck plan of a sailing boat which doesn’t weight, which handicapped its pretentions and tack, but changes direction! The beauty of the weakened its structure. lines once they had touched the water, the first I remember a rough sea in the Bay of Biscay; At sea during the first Channel crossing, timid legs to leave the river. The crew’s anxiety Alain was looking after the navigation and com- and already the first diy sessions (note when the wind arrived with the first night! The munication. With Jean-François (Le Mennec) the clamp on the tiller in the foreground) tiller, quite heavy and vertical (push to luff, pull to and Halvard, we took turns on the helm. I (photo: Christian Février) bear away). The forced stopover in Dover and quickly understood the difficulty of holding a tacking between the ferries. The tricky arrival in course, perched on that scaffolding, my head Port Deauville, in the middle of a fishermen’s only just sticking out of the ‘manhole’, protected blockade: hang in there lads, we heard on the from the spray by a sprayhood which pivoted VHF, I saw the priest this morning and he’s with 180° when tacking, but limited visibility... During you! the night, to windward, I was tense. When the I remember the delivery trip from La Trinité to La boys were sleeping, I doubled my vigilance and Baule, a few days before the start of La Baule – was afraid the sails would be taken aback. This Dakar. The tiller had been replaced by a small happened to us more than once during this first hydraulic wheel, even more peculiar. There was part of the race. We were then all on deck, uni- a lot of wind, TAHITI was empty apart from the ting our efforts to get the proa the right way up presence of a seasick Paris-Match journalist, again. Before going up, my heart fluttered, it lying in the blister. The circuit had failed as we was uncomfortable and dangerous, but we left the channel, spraying the inside of the cen- were free spirits! As the daggerboards had

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