A new lease of life for Amaury de Jamblinne's Open50 Tagaora
by Margherita Pelaschier 24 Jun 2023 01:29 PDT
Open50 Tagaora © Amaury de Jamblinne
Amaury de Jamblinne, a Belgian sailor, has chosen a boat he's courted for several years for his global voyage: the Open50 Tagaora, a 1990 design from Georges Auzépy-Brenneur.
He renamed his boat, which over the years has changed various names and owners, to Tagaora, after the sea god of the Pacific islands. Amaury wanted to give it an original name, one not found in the vessel registers or too frequently on Vessel Finder, a good omen gesture for the boat's new life ahead.
"I've always liked giving a boat a second life. I find it more interesting than buying a new one and it also respects the spirit of the Global Solo Challenge. Since I saw what would later become my boat on the dock in Le Havre, I've been fascinated. I don't know why, but this boat has taken hold of my heart."
In 2017, for the first time, Amaury laid his eyes on Tagaora, and it was love at first sight. This was followed by years of contact with the owner, who eventually sold the boat to a person living abroad who wasn't so interested in sailing. In the meantime, Amaury bought a Pogo 40, called Black Pearl, "a magnificent boat, well maintained and well equipped, but I didn't feel any particular emotion towards her. When it comes to a boat you either love her or you don't." The GSC project began to take shape, and he realized that to make Black Pearl compliant with the GSC regulations, he would have to make numerous modifications, which paradoxically would decrease her value. It was at this time that Amaury saw Tagaora again in Le Havre, abandoned, with her stern encrusted with mussels. He renewed his offer to buy it, and his proposal was accepted. Tagaora was ready for a new life, and Amaury was her happy new owner.
Tagaora, originally named Port de Gravelines, was a design based on the drawing of the Akela 50, by the eclectic naval architect Georges Auzépy-Brenneur, renowned in the leisure sailing sector in the '60s, and built at Alumarine. Auzépy-Brenneur, maintaining a fondness for classic balanced shapes and a passion for wooden construction, designed a vast array of boats and explored nearly all materials, especially for offshore sailing. Though less famous than other architects, his influence has been significant. He started his career at the Jouët shipyard, where he worked for three years with Eugène Cornu. His first boat, the Alerion, was designed in Algiers, and was a small 7-meter sailboat. He later created several large-scale boats.
"To bring Tagaora back to life, I first had to conduct a Sherlock Holmes-like investigation to completely reconstruct its history. The boat was without documents. Luckily, I was able to track down the old owners. From there, I moved on to more technical work. The first expert assessment I had requested revealed that the boat was in a very degraded aesthetic state, but technically impeccable. However, it is still a 33-year-old boat, so there was a lot of work to do to ensure its safety."
Amaury describes Tagaora as a boat that isn't extreme. Its 2.50 meter draft gives him the pleasure of having a versatile vessel for other activities, in addition to this sporting project.
Although he hasn't sailed much, Amaury knows, thanks to the feedback from other sister ships in Brittany, that this type of boat is fast in all conditions. With its two rudders, it's perfectly balanced. It performs well to windward thanks to its blade keel placed in front of the mast, which should be an advantage during the transition zones in his circumnavigation. It is not over-rigged. Solid and robust, built in aluminium, it weighs 8 tons, offering a good compromise between weight and power.
Tagaora has a width of 4 meters, which isn't excessive. Basile Geron, the boat captain and head of LH Yacht Services, describes it as a pseudo-40 footer, with a very long stern but not a particularly tall aluminium mast. The keel has a bulb attached to the fin. It has a tendency to heel, so during construction they added a lifting centreboard forward of the keel. It also has two ballasts, each of 1000 litres. According to Amaury, the boat's interior is very pleasant and bright, with large portholes allowing a good view from inside. He already imagines himself, after the GSC, cruising quickly among the Greek islands.
"For my round the world trip, during which there won't be a shortage of wind, I wanted a balanced boat, one that doesn't slam too much and isn't too extreme. Sailors have human limits, and it's also important to preserve the wellbeing of the skipper. I wanted to maintain a reasonable approach. As for performance, I believe more in maintaining a good average daily speed rather than reaching high speed peaks that then require reducing sail to rest."
Tagaora's refit at the shipyard in Le Havre has forced Amaury to travel between France and Belgium, where he lives and is still professionally active. The work focused not only on preparing for the GSC, but also on a complete safety refit of the boat. The rigging, dating back to 1990, was replaced at Sparcraft. All sheets and halyards were renewed. The entrance door was redone.
Unfortunately, the mainsail, having been left mounted and unprotected for many years, was unusable. By completely renewing the sail inventory, the sail plan was also modified, thanks also to technical evolution: for instance, an asymmetric spinnaker will replace the symmetric one. The mainsail was redesigned to reduce its surface area by 4 square meters, thereby avoiding the need for the skipper to reef when tacking or jibing. The new mainsail, as well as the headsails, are currently in production at Technique Voile. Amaury chose to remake the mainsail and headsails, such as genoa and staysail, in HydraNet, a sail fabric made of high-strength polyester threads intertwined with a reinforcing net of Spectra/Dyneema fibers.
"After the qualification, I will make a few more small modifications, but overall, it is a simple and well-built boat. It was originally well-equipped with Andersen winches and Reckmann furlers. I'll add a dolphin striker at the bow to replace the retractable bowsprit, to ensure greater safety in bow maneuvers."
For energy management, he replaced the old turbine wind generator with a new one from Silentwind. There are also two Ocean Power hydrogenerators and solar panels. As for cooking, he'll bring both freeze-dried and more traditional foods like rice, pasta, and canned goods.
"I'll also bring a few bottles of wine and some chocolate. After days of bad weather, we must allow ourselves some small pleasures. You have to resist over the long haul. For cooking, I'll use a gas cylinder. On board, I have a small kitchen with two burners and a small sink. I'll get drinking water from a watermaker."
The entire electronic system has been overhauled and updated. There will be two autopilots. For communication, he will have access to a Starlink satellite. For weather forecasts, he uses GRIB files and has installed the Adrena software on his computer.
Amaury explains that undertaking a round-the-world journey as part of a race like the GSC offers him an extra layer of safety, even though he's not particularly interested in the competitive aspect. His aim is to chart a good course, enjoy the ride, and safely reach his destination without damaging the equipment. At the end of the race, he'll be more focused on the number of days it took to circumnavigate the globe than his position in the rankings.
"I believe that in an adventure like this, pleasure isn't derived from speed, but rather from following an interesting route. If I reach the end with both the boat and the sailor in good condition, having chosen the right navigation options, I'll be proud of my journey. In less windy areas, I'll take the opportunity to throw out my fishing line and who knows, maybe catch a mahi-mahi for my meal and ponder the meaning of life!"
I envision myself sailing in the Deep South. After Cape Town, it's all unknown. We'll have to adapt to the large waves and depressions, to being alone out there, and absorbing that landscape, that light, that atmosphere that seeps under your skin and into your heart. We'll be in a precarious situation, but we must seize the moment, as it doesn't happen every day.
About 15 days before arrival, if necessary, I'll grit my teeth and go full speed ahead. But I believe it's important to remain vigilant, even after Cape Horn; sailing remains a mechanical sport and one must also count on luck. Nothing is taken for granted until arrival. The idea is to maintain a safety margin for both the skipper and the equipment. It's a marathon, not a sprint. And I'll seek to create a great story."
A story that Amaury will write and live with his Tagaora. "When I step aboard, even though it's currently on dry land, I feel peaceful, I feel good vibrations. A boat has a soul, it's alive. Tagaora will be my travel companion and if I take good care of her, she will repay me in terms of reliability."
We eagerly await this wonderful pair in La Coruña for the start of Tagaora's new life and to see Amaury fulfill his dream.