Etoile Polaire

Go to bookings and prices Built in 1914, Etoile Polaire is a classic yacht from the German Abeking and Rasmussen shipyard. Restored in 2003 in Brest by the Guip Shipyard, this gaff ketch is a fine racer and light on the water with good mileage.


The Etoile Polaire will join the Tall Ships Races 2012.

Check out the outlines of the trips the Etoile Polairewill be making:
Tall Ships Races 2012 - Race 2 Lisbon (PT) - Cadiz (SP)
Tall Ships Races 2012 - Cruise in Company Cadiz (SP) - La Coruna (SP)
Tall Ships Races 2012 - Race 3 La Coruna (SP) - Dublin (IE)

---

Accommodation

The saloon offers an unusual charm with the its Honduran mahogany, a great pleasure to look at. And a great pleasure to sail. The cabins have a wooden interior and have combinations of bunk beds and double beds.

---

---

Specifications

Shipping type: Gaff Ketch (classic yacht)
Home port: Brest, France
Date built: 1914
Restored: 2003
Crew: 2
Capacity: 12 people
Daytrips: 28
Length: 25 m
Beam: 4,5 m
Draught: 3,2 m
Engine capacity: 125 hp

---

History

Etoile Polaire was built in 1914.Ordered by Mr Horms for 2 luxurious ketch yachts by the boatyard Abeking et Rasmussen in Lemwerder, close to the Danish frontier.
The war was imminent and the boatyard had to satisfy the German marine orders to start with.

As soon as the war was over, the yacht was confiscated and given to Denmark as war damages.
It changed name and became "Eroika". In 1933, an English banker bought it and re-baptised named her or it "Gilnockie"

In 1943, too close to the British coasts, it ran aground on to a mud bank running away from a German submarine. An English peer rescued and restored it in 1946. Gilnockie then sailed mainly around the Mediterranean for about 20 years.

In 1969, it changed hands. A Canadian, Bryan Garvey re-baptised it Polaris. In the 70s, it was completely refitted, the only original feature is the oak keel.

In the late 80s, the yacht was lent to an irish sailing school tacking 21 trainees on board.
One very windy day, the trainees left the hatch-covers (or port-holes ??) open. The yacht than sank leaning quayside. The rigging was badly damaged. It was looted.

Looking at the costs, the owner gave up and lent it to Yves Lemonier, a maintenance engineer at the SNCF (French trains). It took him 6 months to bring the ketch back to life. In fact, he became the next owner in 1995.

She was then abandoned in Caen (France), due to maintenance costs. Bob Escoffier noticed it and bought it in 2000. And gave it new life.
As all the boats in the company are Etoile it became Etoile Polaire. Since then it sails from Saint-Malo to Lorient, to the Mediterranean, and takes part in large festivities in France (Transat Lagasse 2009, Route du Rhum 2010, Transat Jacques Vabre 2011, Vende Globe 2008 and 2012).

Welcome on board !

English Nederlands

 

News