Two years ago, Bateaux.com introduced you to the Ateliers de la Gazelle, a strange building site in a castle near Angers. The activity, now spread over five buildings - demoulding, finishing, sailmaking and. - is doing rather well since 50 to 60 boats are built every year, no less!
Atypical location and operation, no doubt, but perfect mastery of the manufacturing process. The polyester construction, which uses infusion technology for both hulls and decks, is as robust as it is neat.
Miniature Breton canoe
The Morgat 320 joins the range of Breton canoes. Its one-third sail differentiates it from the auric sailing boats - Gazelle des Sables, Gazelle Breizh and Gazelle des îles. The hull is wide and belly shaped to offer a good load capacity and an important shape stability. The program is vast: ballade, fishing, learning to sail. Note that the 320 is also available without rigging. The hull, compared to previous models, has a slightly straighter bow. The cockpit is high enough to be self-bailing when the boat is empty and stationary. Quite a plus at anchor. Under the bilges, a 60-litre ballast tank reinforces the boat's stability. As a result, the 320 retains a featherweight of 100 kilos on its trailer.
Easy launching
A beach cart is sufficient for one man to launch the boat. But where most trailer-mounted sailboats require a steep chock, the 320 will prefer a moderate slope. Thanks to the castor integrated in the keel heel - common to all the yard's sailing yachts - it is even possible to launch the Morgat without a trolley. It's hard to be more independent. The long keel is protected by a sturdy stainless steel strip to prevent a "raspy" grounding. The aluminium profile is white lacquered. Not guyed, it is just threaded into the mast foot. The sail is set just as easily: you hit the halyard on the yardarm, take up the luff, and sheet the sheet in the cleat: the Morgat is ready to sail in five minutes.
Sailing... and rowing!
The oars on their paddles easily propel the Morgat 320, even against the wind. Two sails are available: 4 or 7 m2. And a jib can also be rigged. First sensations: the helm is soft and balanced. You can let go of it for a few moments. The vision is good on the water and the stability reassuring. An immediate and easy handling. Only the sheet, which comes back on the helm, requires a certain amount of practice - sometimes you have to cross your hands, precisely to shock or tuck in.
Able to ride upwind
The average speed is 4 to 5 knots. Tacking at lower speeds can be pushy: don't hesitate to gybe, it's more efficient! Still at low speed, the 320 starts a little crabgy, due to its very reduced draught. However, the drift becomes practically nil as soon as the wake lengthens. The Morgat 320 is therefore able to tack... and windward. Obviously, when the yardage is downwind, the profile of the sail is better and the extrado is not disturbed by the profile. So we have a better tack and a worse one. In good winds, the heel can be dry. But the ballast water quickly brings the boat back to a more conventional trim. And the boomless one-third of the sail, which has been shocked out of the water, offers practically no wind grip.
Modular deck plan
Thanks to the absence of a boom and the presence of mobile lockers, the cockpit is as clever as it is comfortable for up to three people. Personal belongings, safety equipment and the day's supplies are stored in a dry place. Sitting, lying down, and why not standing, you can always find your place on board. The Tradition pack, with its teak-covered deck and cockpit, its stainless steel and bronze fittings, perfectly complements the wooden listeon and the old-fashioned cashew sail.
The Morgat is approved in category D, which restricts it to use in sheltered waters, but is safe for its size - unsinkable, ballasted and self-draining. A perfect support for discovering sailing, going for a walk... and above all, not to get in your head!
