An immaculately maintained classic sailing yacht.
The yacht has been built as a keel-centreboard ketch by Yves Deborde at Nautique Saintonge in Saujon, France and was named Thalassa. The building of the yacht started end of 1969. The yacht was delivered in 1971.
Asking price: € 82.750
The design of the yacht is based on the Dick Carter Tina design. The drawings were modified, to our knowledge by Georges Auzepy Brenneur. He designed several yachts for Yves Deborde, such as the Rorqual (Nautique Saintonge 44).
The design was modified to build the yacht in wood (Oregon pine strip planking with on the outside multi-diagonal layers of mahogany and gascover; on laminated mahogany frames); with a keel-centreboard and a stretched aft to create room for the mizzen mast. In the mid-eighties, the keel-centreboard was removed and a Philippe Briand wing keel was mounted.
The yacht had its mooring in the Bay of Morbihan and was sailed on the French coast untill 1998.
Thalassa was bought by the current owners in autumn 1998 and was transported to the Netherlands. From 1998 to 2003 she had a full restoration carried out by the owners and some hired professionals in five years’ time and in approximately 5000 hours.
All wooden frames were renewed as well as the complete interior, cockpit, teak deck, hatches, deck lay-out, electrical system, electronics, engine, rudder, etc… The mast position was altered, 60 cm ahead, to be able to create a modern rig with a Hall Spars Carbon Fibre mast.
In 2016 the wing keel has been modified to a fin keel with more draught and a more weight. That resulted in: better stability, better upwind performance and a higher average speed.
Guided by Frans Maas (builder of 40 Tina’s, Thalassa was transformed into l’ Esprit du Morbihan. She became a classic IRC cruiser/racer (a wolf in sheep’s clothing), optimised to the RORC IRC rule.
She is a fast and easy to sail cruising yacht and a formidable racing yacht. She can compete against classic yachts as well as against modern yachts (when there is some blow!)
l’ Esprit du Morbihan won the 2018 edition of the One Tonner Revival Regatta in Breskens, The Netherlands.
During the last two winters l’ Esprit du Morbihan has undergone a refit, resulting in great looks, paramount performance and an excellent overall condition:
A Complete engine rebuilt, a completely renewed gas system, a new boiler, new water hoses (cold- and hot water), new seacock’s and thru hull fittings (Stainless Steel 316), renovated cooling system for the fridge, fresh paintwork of the interior and inner hull. Six layers of fresh varnish on the coach roof sides, toe rails and cockpit. Renovated and partly renewed teak in the cockpit. Optimised electronics complete with AIS class B Transponder.
