A ship for TV
The Etoile du Roy is a replica of an English frigate of the 18 e 47 m long, 10.30 m wide, 310 tons, 790 m2 of sails, its design is based on the historical plans of HMS Blandford, built in 1741 by the British Admiralty. The privateer ship of the 20th century was built in Turkey, in Marmaris, then named Grand Turk, in homage to its builder, Michael Turk. The latter reproduced the old three-masted wooden ship identically, for the needs of the television series Hornblower . The Etoile du Roy appears alongside the Etoile de France, a topsail schooner built in 1938. The boat was bought in 2010 by the French company Etoile Marine, just like Etoile de France. They are now based in Saint-Malo.
The Etoile du Roy allows you to discover the life of privateers during embarkations. It also serves as a reception area and is one of the great figures of maritime gatherings throughout Europe. Its 20 cannons, identical to those of the time, are present on the deck and animated by the 9 crew members during the arrivals and departures of maritime festivals. Open to visitors, it is today the third largest traditional French ship.
A characteristic figurehead
euros its launching, the prow of the Grand Turk is decorated with a Turk in typical clothes of the 18 e century and topped with a turban. In 2012, the figure was replaced by the privateer Violette de la Hisse, born from the imagination of illustrator Valérie Gauthier. Half woman, half mermaid, the young woman fought the English alongside her husband before finally choosing to live in the sea. She is represented with a fish tail, surrounded by a starfish and a white ermine with a black tail, symbol of the corsair city and of Brittany in general.
