Jean Lacombe is a strange sailor. A man who has ideas and leads them all the way. His maritime adventure begins when, without any maritime experience, he designs a boat and builds it. Thus was born Hippocampe, a 5.50 m sailing ship with a long keel, with which he crossed the Atlantic for the first time, linking Toulon to New York single-handed: at the time, a feat on such a small sailing ship.
Afterwards, the sailor distinguished himself by registering twice for the English transatlantic race. The first time, he was one of the 5 entrants in the first edition in 1960 on a Cap Horn (a 6.50 m sailing boat designed by Jean-Jacques Herbulot and built by the Jouët shipyard in plywood). He came last in this race, but proved in the process his good seamanship and the quality of the plywood yachts.
For the second edition in 1964, he took part on a Golif. The Golif is one of the first production boats built in polyester by the Jouët shipyard and measuring 6.50 m. She will finish this race in 9 e position, a participation largely overshadowed by Eric Tabarly's victory. The two men will moreover be hailed by General de Gaule at the Paris Boat Show which followed.
But more of an adventurer than a sailor, he decided to move away from the world of racing, preferring to settle in New York and become a photographer and filmmaker. But the sea remained in him and he set out to design and build a sailboat radically opposed to everything that existed at the time. With this new Yang boat, he will cross the Atlantic four more times (participating once again in the English Transat).
It is while finding all the film reels that the two nautical journalists Laurent Charpentier and Eric Vibart discover the treasure they contain. Accompanied by Fabienne Issartel, they decided to make a documentary on this extraordinary sailor. Thus was born this documentary "Moi Jean Lacombe Marin et Cinéaste" (Me Jean Lacombe Marin and Filmmaker) of 52 minutes available today on DVD.
This DVD tells the maritime adventure of this sailor who invented the first cinematographic selfie. Everywhere he goes, he goes with his camera, both cameraman and actor. Already ahead of his time!
You can buy the DVD at the Corderie Royale de Rochefort, or from the production l'Heure Bleue (by first leaving your email address at yoann@hbleue.fr. The film is on sale at 21.00 euros, postage included.
The film "Moi Jean Lacombe, marin et cinéaste" has been selected for FILMAR 2018 (International Film Festival of the Sea) which will take place in Hendaye from 22 to 25 March 2018.
