Interview / Bilfot: the rebirth of an A'Capella trimaran, destined for the Route du Rhum

© Thierry Sani

Bilfot, formerly known as Friends & Lovers, is one of the rare survivors of the A'Capella trimaran series designed by architects Walter Green and Dick Newick. Saved from the wreckage by Jean-Paul Froc, this emblematic boat found a second life in 1998.

After taking part in several transatlantic races under the name of Friends & Lovers, Bilfot, one of the five trimarans in the A'Capella series, almost fell into oblivion before being saved by skipper Jean-Paul Froc in 1998. A restoration that symbolizes not only perseverance, but also the sailing community's deep attachment to these historic ocean-racing trimarans.

In the previous report, Jean-Paul took us to Saint-Malo, at the heart of the first editions of the Route du Rhum to take us back to his landmark encounter with the legendary A'Capella trimarans, in particular with Friends & Lovers, abandoned in the Azores at the time.

And that's where you come in?

Yes, in the press the boat was for sale. I contacted the owner, a commercial company, who informed me that there was a problem: the boat was in the Azores, dismasted and wrecked. I told him: " Well, I'll go and see him. "So I treated my lover to a wonderful trip! We set off and discovered the boat, which really was a wreck. It was anchored in the middle of the port of Horta, in a cargo maneuvering area. They were in the process of enlarging the port, and there were shovels. The boat was covered in seagull droppings, with water inside.

On my return, I contacted the owner again. I offered to buy it at a low price, but in France. They told me they had no solution, that they didn't know what to do. I replied that I would see if I could find a solution to bring it back. At the time, I had a friend who was a shipping charterer. I told him about it. A month later, he called me back, saying he had a cargo ship leaving Boston for Brest. It had two cranes and they were ready to make a small detour off the Azores, but they couldn't get into port. So I had to figure out the rest.

Well, never mind, I took off with one of my cousins. We had 50 kilos of tools, and paid more in overweight than in tickets! We got there on a Monday, and the cargo was scheduled to arrive on Wednesday or Thursday. We started to clean up the boat, empty it, put it ashore and dock it. But above all, we had to restart the engine to meet the freighter. In 3 days, we managed to do it all: get the boat more or less clean and tinker with the engine. And on Thursday, the freighter was there! They lowered the hook, I had the whole de-slinging system and the boat was grouted on deck before being chocked with pallets. Then we went ashore because they didn't want any passengers.

We had a return flight the following Saturday, so we had 3 or 4 days to kill. In the meantime, the cargo ship was on its way. My wife, Dame Ginette and the cousins picked up the boat in Brest. They put her straight into the water, without going to the quay, without handling her. But she was still in a sorry state. We moored it alongside the Ifremer boat. I knew some people there, so it was a bit hidden; nobody saw it too much. I thought they'd never allow me to leave on this boat, given its condition. We flew straight back to Brest. We left the harbor at night, reporting to no one. I rigged a makeshift sail with the boom and a flat jib, and that's how we got back to Cancale. With engine and sail, that did it!

Back then, I had a boatyard. We reassembled the boat here, I ordered a mast, we inspected it and tinkered with it. We put her back in the water the following year, in 2000. We sailed her for a while, but we noticed that she was a bit tired, wiggling all over the place. The following year, 2001, we decided to take her to La Trinité, to Charlie Capelle's, for a complete overhaul. We overhauled and inspected everything, and he stayed there for almost 5 years. We rebuilt the arms and floats, and reassembled the deck, but didn't touch the central hull too much. We had to put the boat back in the water in 2006, or around that time.

Can you tell us about your experiences in the Route du Rhum on this trimaran?

It wasn't in my plans to do the Route du Rhum. I was in the middle of my professional life, so I had other things to think about. But in 2006, Charlie Capelle, who had recovered his boat, decided to set off again for the Route du Rhum. On the 3rd day, he turned over off Portugal. He was able to recover his boat straight away, thanks to the beacon that was transmitting, and he knew where to find it. He put it right side up and went back to the yard to start work again.

In 2010, we both signed up, with Acapella and Friends & Lovers. I did the Route du Rhum again in 2014.

In 2018, my nephew, François Corre, took over the boat. The first Route du Rhum was a bit difficult because I didn't have any solo transatlantic experience. Also, the boat wasn't up to scratch yet, and I had a few problems. In 2011, we took the boat out to sea and reassembled her in La Trinité at Charlie Capelle's, where we spent two years working on her to improve her. The floats and arms were in good condition, but the central hull was a little tired. So we did it all over again.

Sailing on a historic boat during the Route du Rhum is a great source of pride after so many adventures and stories. The Route du Rhum is always a bit complicated, especially in the first week. You have to manage the start, get out of the English Channel and cross the Bay of Biscay. The first week is difficult, we're in survival mode. But from the latitude of Lisbon or Madeira onwards, it's warm, so we take off our sweaters and oilskins. When everything's going well, we find the trade winds, and downwind sailing is a lot of fun! Even if there are the occasional big, dangerous storm squalls, it's really nothing but bliss.

These boats, even if they sometimes tend to turn over, are still quite safe. You can't do just anything, but you can enjoy them, sleep and rest. It's still pleasant.

Today, the boat has been awarded the "Bateau d'intérêt patrimonial" label by Gérard d'Aboville's association. It was admitted to the commission early on, in the 2nd series of boats. This commission studies the heritage and history of the various boats. It's more symbolic than anything else, let's say.

Today, we're still sailing on it regularly. Last week, for example, we had set off for the Scilly Islands, but ended up doing a tour of the Channel Islands: Guernsey, Sark, Bréhat, Jersey... No transatlantic race is planned at the moment. You used to be able to do the Route du Rhum as an amateur on a small budget. Today, that's no longer possible: it's reserved for professionals, and the organizers are above all financiers.

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