Celebrating 50 years of the Golden Globe
The project was born out of a discussion around a good table at the Grand Pavois in September 2017. Patrice Passinge (head of the Meta yard) and Joseph Fricaud (former head of the yard) with other friends were discussing the year 2018 and the 50th anniversary of the Golden Globe race: "Why on this occasion not rebuild a Joshua?" This steel boat operated by Bernard Moitessier, who came out of the Meta shipyard that made him famous. Neither one nor two, Joseph Fricaud announces that he is ordering the first copy to entrust it to his daughter (a sailor) before giving it to charity.
The project is launched!
A Strongall replica of Joshua
As the construction of a steel hull is no longer within the competence of the shipyard, which specializes in thick aluminium (the Strongall), it is decided to modify the plans a little to adapt it to this material.
At the time, Michel Joubert had digitized the plans from the original ones. Bernard Nivelt, associate of Michel Joubert, now deceased, took over these files to adapt them to the Strongall, notably by creating a chine. But for the rest, the boat remains very similar in terms of volumes and identical in dimensions.
Another visible difference from the original Joshua is the choice of the aft cockpit. Among the 70 Joshua produced by the yard between 1962 and 1980, some had a rear cockpit. Joseph Fricaud found this layout more intelligent. The ketch rigging will be identical with its large bowsprit of nearly 2 m long. But to carry a little more canvas, the masts have been slightly extended.
A construction in progress
The construction of this "Joshua by Meta" (that will be its name) is well advanced since the hull is finished. The keel, rudder and ballast are in place, and the deckhouse is being finished. All the boilerwork is planned to be finished by the end of March 2018. The boat will then go to a carpenter for the fittings.
Under the deckhouse, there is a navigation area with the chart table and a lookout berth. Then further down a saloon with a galley before arriving in a cabin with a double bed facing a desk. In the point will be arranged a toilet.
A new version on the market?
Patrice Passinge doesn't think fans will rush to order "Joshua by Meta": "If he shows up, we'll be able to offer it. But the plan is really from another age, especially with regard to the interior volumes. The pinched bottom of the boat and its finesse don't offer much space. We only have one cabin in a boat of this size!"
The launch is scheduled for this summer. The goal is to present it with the other Joshua's at a gathering planned for the Grand Pavois 2018 in September in La Rochelle. "We're a bit behind schedule and no doubt all the fittings will not be completely finished by that date, but the boat will sail," says Patrice Passinge, "A bit like Bernard Moitessier
