The demise of an ocean racing yacht
In August 2016, we learned that the mythical Vendredi 13 had been bought by Norbert Fradin, to regain his pride of yesteryear. The association Rêves de Sens had been appointed to carry out the renovation work. But since then, the two parties have been at odds and the restoration of the boat has been put on hold.
Vendredi 13 is the name of the magnificent three-masted yacht designed by the sailor Jean-Yves Terlain in 1972. With a length of 39.13 m, she was at the time the longest ocean racing yacht ever built for a single-handed transatlantic race, and was described as a "magnificent three-mast" impossible to navigate by one man . However, he finished second in the Ostar in 1972, then took part in the 1976 race and the first edition of the Route du Rhum in 1978, with Yvon Fauconnier as skipper (read : Friday the 13th, superstition or boat? )
The yacht then abandons her career as an offshore courier to be refitted for luxury cruises in the West Indies. Great sailors such as Olivier de Kersauson, the Peyron brothers, Yvon Fauconnier, Titouan Lamazou, Eugène Riguidel or Florence Arthaud will come aboard...
In the 90s, he returned to Bordeaux to be exhibited at the Conservatoire de la Plaisance. But he unfortunately ends his life abandoned on the parking lot of the submarine base in 1994. Since then, the hull has been lying on the parking lot, squatted and vandalized.
A call for tenders to take over the boat
In 2013, a call for tenders will be organised by the Bordeaux City Council for the Friday 13th revival (as well as a complete lot of other boats). Bertrand Quentin, president of the Rêves de Sens association, which has already to its credit the renovation of the Tabarly trimaran Côte d'Or II, is positioning himself to buy back the boats from the former Conservatoire International de la Plaisance (CIP) of the city of Bordeaux.
But in the end it was Norbert Fradin who got the lot. According to the association Rêves de Sens, " he wishes to cut the long black hull in half to make a projection room and the main room of the future Naval and Maritime Museum."
The association Rêves de Sens is positioning itself to renovate the boat
In July 2015, Bertrand Quentin succeeded in convincing the owner that the "13" could and should be saved and thus return to sea. They then entered into a contractual agreement to start the yard. (read : Friday the 13th saved and soon restored ). "Unfortunately, all fundraising, communication and partnership initiatives launched by the association have been systematically blocked, explains the association in a press release.
The yard is therefore obliged to stop the work for lack of means. "Despite all the efforts of Rêves de Sens, which has been working hard on the yard for a year and a half already, the owner of the boat is hindering any initiative that would allow the association to launch appeals for donations and partnerships. It even finds itself in the obligation to go into debt with the owner, who demands untenable delays" continues the association in its press release.
However, the owner wants the boat to be ready to sail for the Bordeaux River Festival (May 26th to June 4th 2017)...
Renegotiate the contract and raise awareness
On 16 February, the association sent Norbert Fradin an expert report (history of the partnership, financial table, and a proposal for a new contractual framework).
"The financial table shows that the association's share of investment to date is more than 80 % of the investment made for the restoration (i.e. 431 000 euros compared with 89 600 euros). In this context, the proposed new partnership agreement takes into account this share of investment and benefits both parties equally. To date, this document, which was sent on 16 February 2017, is still unanswered" .
According to the association, the hull of Friday the 13th may be moved to an undisclosed location. "This news clearly shows that the future of the sailing boat can be compromised. The heritage of sailing would thus lose an exceptional piece. Each of the members of the association, some of whom have worked full time and on a voluntary basis since the start of the yard, nevertheless hope that Friday the 13th, a living memory of our maritime heritage and the history of ocean racing, has not yet finished making its mark" concludes Dreams of Meaning.
