Death of Alain Gliksman
Alan Gliksman died on November 18, 2023, at the age of 91. The sailor, born in Paris in 1932, left behind him a legacy as an ocean racing skipper, launching famous boats, but also as an author and journalist, heading up well-known titles in the nautical press.
Sailor and journalist
In the 1950s, sailing enthusiast Alain Gliksman turned to journalism to make a living from his passion. He wrote essays for the magazine Bateaux, before co-founding the magazine Neptune in 1962, where he was editor-in-chief for 10 years. From 1972 onwards, he devoted himself entirely to ocean racing and writing books.
At a time when the likes of Tabarly and Colas were in the limelight, Alain Gliksman also distinguished himself in prestigious races. On his 17.37-meter sailboat, Raph, designed by André Mauric, he narrowly missed victory in the 1968 Transat Anglaise, forced to make a technical stopover. Renamed 33 Export, his yacht became legendary in the first Whitbread with Dominique Guillet at the helm. At the same time, Alain Gliksman took part in the crewed round-the-world race at the helm of the first Kriter. In the 1972 edition of the Transat, Alain Gliksman wins the race in the 35-foot category. He also competed solo in the first Route du Rhum in 1978, but was forced to retire on his Seiko trimaran.
The sailor took part in the evolution of ocean racing at the time, turning to multihulls, with all their technical difficulties, in a pioneering period. He competed on giant trimarans such as André Allègre's Grand Large, 28.50 m long and 14 m wide, as well as on a prao, Tahiti Douche, in the 1980s.
In the 1990s, Alain Gliksman returned to journalism, becoming editor-in-chief of the magazine Mer & Bateaux. Published by various publishers, he is also the author of books such as Les années vagues, Au large, croisière et course, and Les solitaires de l'Atlantique: de la victoire.à ma défaite.
