A boat to sail in the Channel
When he bought the Gros Plant Cyrano in 1998 in Quiberon, Jean-François was looking for a simple boat to sail in the Channel. 25 years later, the contract is fulfilled. A modest sailor, he claims not to be a great sailor, but he has nevertheless sailed the Channel with his boat, validating his program, before taking the painful decision to part with it. "When we got the boat, we raced a bit, then we did a lot of cruising in the Channel. Then we got a house on the water, and we didn't go to sea as much. For the last 5 6 years, it had been under a shed in the shelter and so I finally decided to sell it."
A boat that finished 2nd in the Mini Transat
When we bought the boat, we said, but without proof, that Gros Plant had competed in the Mini Transat 79, and finished 2nd with Jean-Luc Van den Heede at the helm. Indeed, the Gros Plant is based on the design of the famous Muscadet, wine lovers will understand the wink. The architect Philippe Harlé had widened the boat to participate in the Mini Transat. There were several boats at the start in 1979, including the architect himself who finished 4th. Jean-François specifies: "The Gros Plant is about the same length as the Muscadet, but it's wider in the back. We were starting to think about getting the boats to glide."
After a long crossing of the English Channel, Jean-François noticed that the boat had taken on some water and started to dismantle it and to restore it to its original state. He discovered that the boat had had a "big nose" added to the bow to gain length at the waterline, which had earned it the name Cyrano. While stripping the deck, he discovered the number 8. VDH confirmed to him later, during a regatta for the 50 years of Muscadet, that it was indeed his boat!
A simple and rustic sailboat
There are few Gros Plant in the water. 7 have been built: 4 by the Aubin shipyard and 3 under amateur construction according to Jean-François' information. With an overall length of 6.95 meters and a width of 2.50 meters, the boat is still transportable. Its 4/5 rigging carries 33 m2 of sail area.
The facilities are basic. Going down into the cabin, we find on starboard a minimalist chart table, a stove on gimbal on the other side. To rest, we use the 2 coffin bunks at the back or the front point that Jean-François arranged as a double bunk.
He sums it up this way: "It's simple, there's no sink. There's nothing that breaks! When we bought the boat, it was foamed up. We took it all out to gain some storage."
With the cockpit enlarged compared to the Muscadet, the space is comfortable with 2 nice benches.
A safe and seaworthy boat
The boat is designed for good sailing and the crew feels safe, as Jean-François can testify. "We've taken a few big beats in the English Channel, but we've never been afraid. The boat has a draft of 1.30 meters and half the weight is in the keel."
The charm of old-fashioned navigation
He does concede a few shortcomings to his boat. "It's a small boat so it has little inertia in the waves. The sea can quickly seem big. You get wet quickly. She has little headroom, and without a furler, you have to make sail changes. But this is also its charm. It looks like sailing in the old way. It is beautiful and reminds me of the boats that made me dream as a kid. Buying a Gros Plant is a bit like buying a 2CV or a Beetle, you don't go as fast, but it's beautiful!"
