Pen Duick II, a sailboat designed for the English Transat
Pen Duick II was designed by architect Gilles Costantini for the 1964 Transat, according to Eric Tabarly's wishes. While at the time the trend was to improve existing boats to gain a few tenths of a knot, Tabarly decided to build a boat for a specific race. The sailboat whose hull measures 13.60 meters, is light since it weighs only 6.5 tons. The canopy is split so that it can be manoeuvred alone. It is the first time that a navigator will build a boat to participate in a race and that a ship of this size will be led in race by only one man.
In 1962, Tabarly decided to take part in the next English Transat, to be held in 1964, and to build a boat on purpose. As he trains on the Margilic V, a Tarann made of marine plywood, built by the Costantini shipyard in Trinité, he realises that he can manoeuvre a bigger boat alone. He therefore decided to have Pen Duick II built on the Margilic V model, in a sports version, in the same materials, but longer and composed of two masts. The hull is composed of a double buoyancy bilge, in order to reduce the wet surface and the deck is equipped with a plexiglass dome, old seaplane astrodome, to monitor the sails from the inside.
He was the first sailor to use his spinnaker alone, proof of the sailor's determination. He won the Transat aboard Pen Duick II in 27 days and 23 hours, three days before the Briton Chichester, the title holder of the previous edition, despite a few setbacks which prevented him from sailing faster.
Thanks to Eric Tabarly's victory, the yachting world is opening up to France.
A sailboat modified to adapt to the races
After his arrival in Newport, Tabarly convoyed by cargo ship Pen Duick II to Europe to take part in the last races of the RORC season in order to analyse the behaviour of his boat during a measurement, but also to compete as a crew. He then made modifications, a new schooner rig in 1965 and again with a boom in 1966 for the Bermuda race. The hull will also be modified to adapt to the CCA gauge in force in the USA and to relieve its rear part.
The number 14 restored thanks to the association"Restaurons le Pen Duick II"
In 1966, Pen Duick II is sold to the National Sailing School of Quiberon, it is not used any more. It was in 1993 that he underwent repairs at the Pichavant shipyard in Pont Labbé. In 1994, the association"Restaurons le Pen Duick II" was created to pay tribute to the victory of 1964 in partnership with many subscribers including the French state, the Brittany region, the General Council of Morbihan, the FFV and the French Navy. After its restoration, it was exhibited at the Paris Boat Show and in 1995, it was put back in the water.
Today, Pen Duick belongs to the Beg Rohu National Sailing School in Quiberon and trains young people in the Brevet d'État and their future profession as Sports Educators. From May to September, paid courses are organized to teach the general public the basics of navigation.
We were able to admire him during the Tour de Belle-Île in May 2014.
| Length overall | 13,60 m |
| Length at waterline | 10 m |
| Displacement | 6,5 t |
| Width | 3,40 m |
| Draught | 2,20 m |
| Rigging | Ketch for the deckchair |
| Upwind sail area | 60 m2 |
| Year of construction | 1964 |
| Material | Plywood |
