In February 1960, Bateaux was a 60-page magazine with 15 pages of advertising (all in black and white). A ratio of 3/4 of editorial staff, a ratio that will then evolve over the years by increasing significantly. A fatality for the reader, but a survival for magazines whose financing is entirely linked to advertising, the selling price per issue covering only the manufacturing (paper and printing).
Spinnaker cover
Despite the winter season, the February 1960 issue of Bateaux magazine welcomes us with a sunny cover with a sailboat under spinnaker. Her Norwegian ass (back as sharp as a bow) marks the time of the photo.
This issue still stapled (we are not yet in the era of the famous backsquare of the Revue Bateaux which made its charm) continues to want to explain navigation and especially sailing (very few motor boats in this issue). Technical articles follow one after the other: sail and rudder trimming, sail hollows, mast or boom bending... It's fun to reread these ultra-precise and technical subjects, illustrated by simple hand-drawn pencil sketches.
Discovery of the Somme
This month the "Where to sail..." takes us to the Bay of the Somme. A navigation that the author realizes with an outboard motor boat. Almost an obligation in these regions that turns into a dune desert at low tide. Curiously, the editor admits he didn't like the place too much: " Should I advise you to go, should I communicate an enthusiasm that I have not experienced? ?
Do we have to sail on the Devil?
This month's boat of the month trial is about the Devil. A sloop biquille (at the time we speak of 2 fins) designed by Charles Élie Chauveau at the request of the navigator Jean Merrien. In 1960, sailing boats were not produced by a shipyard, but had a "promoter" who distributed them. It could then be built by several building sites, or even amateur construction.
This is the case of the Devil available in classic wood or even in polyester. 8 building sites were offering to build it at the time.
A developer, not a construction site
To open the subject, the floor is given to the promoter Jean Merrien who explains the choice of the drawing and the program of this Devil. He goes on to say, "In fact, it says.. I don't think you can judge a boat by testing a single unit, as you can judge a car... In my opinion, a series can only be judged by an average of many opinions. "We are far from the great series that today's construction sites offer us!
The test is taking place in strange conditions, with the tester reporting leakage problems:" a bowl of water inside each packet of sea, and also a seepage from the bottom that it was impossible to completely dry out ?. I'm not sure it makes you want to buy that sailboat..
Take your time on the Devil
All the more so as his manoeuvring skills are not carried to the firmament either: " The Diable was designed for comfortable cruising, but some importance can nevertheless be attached to its performance. We hardly expected to find a racer, but in any case, the Devil's possibilities are quite clearly below average. "And further:" It should be noted that its engine performance is still quite mediocre. "A time, when things were said without embellishment..
