Democratizing yachting in France with a one-design boat
The Shark is a 9.60 m one-design sailboat designed by the Finn Gunnar L.Stenbäck in 1930. At that time, she is called HAJ and has the vocation to be the 6M of the poor... It must be said that in the 30's, yachting was reserved to rich owners and was very expensive. Built on the outskirts of Helsinki, it was quickly noticed by the Frenchman Jean Savoye, a major player in the Seine-Maritime shipping industry and a member of Duclair's Club House.
With several friends, he decided to bring the boat to France to enrich the fleet of the Duclair Yacht Club. Thus the HAJ (shark in Swedish or Haï in Finnish) - renamed Requin in French - landed on the territory in 1934, followed by a few other specimens and the French Association of Shark Owners was born one year later, in 1935. Its sail was then adorned with a logo of the largest fish.
France, the largest shark producer
Very quickly, France became the country with the largest shark fleet. However, at the same time, the Yacht-Club of Campdem in Maine also buys some, but keeps the HAJ appellation.
The association quickly retrieved the plans, and over the years a dozen building sites were created which built their own Shark. The Pouvreau shipyard, in Vendée, produces more than 300 of them. Today, France has 499 examples of this emblematic sailboat. Although construction has dried up in Finland, local shipyards continue to restore and preserve these magnificent wooden boats.
"We have a very good contact with the Finnish Shark Associations, we organize joint regattas or world championships in match racing." develops Philippe Petit-Jean.
A dynamic association
In 2020, the French Shark Owners Association has about a hundred members, owner-members and sympathizers. "Our goal is first of all to keep the Shark alive and sustainable, which works since it is celebrating its 90th birthday this year. We're smugglers at the helm of this superb boat." explains Philippe Petit-Jean.
In addition to organising regattas through clubs - including an annual championship organised in July, the National Shark, which brings together around 25 boats - the association's objective is also to ensure that the one-design desired by the architect is respected. "Our boats are all identical and can run without any ratings. The boats, whether they are made of wood or polyester, for the most recent ones, are strictly one-design. In 2020, we would have achieved our 70 e french championship. In 70 years, only one polyester boat has won, the others were all made of wood." philippe Petit-Jean tells us. The fleet captains also organize local gatherings so that everyone can get together.
In 2020, although they weren't able to race during the National Shark, it's on Virtual Regatta that the members of the association met again. "It's an old association, but with young people. We've been doing sharkonly regattas on Virtual Regatta. During 2 weekends, 24 boats took part in the 18 races planned for us. It was a way to keep our members busy and keep this very friendly link", says Philippe Petit-Jean.
In order to keep the association alive, the office maintains a website - very active - and publishes an annual paper newsletter sent to all members. It contains beautiful stories about the Shark, but also news.
18 years of the Paris Boat Show
Thanks to the annual membership fee - 60 euros for owners and 20 euros for sympathetic members - the association continues its activity. In addition to its annual newsletter, the association has been taking part every year - for the past 18 years - in the Paris Boat Show, where it also exhibits a copy of The Shark.
"We're one of the few associations to be present at the show, exhibiting a boat that has been delighting everyone for years." concludes Philippe Petit-Jean.
