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book. He also knew
William Atkin's boats of the Colin Archer type and based on these, Gerbault designed his own version. The boat became 10.40 m long over deck (34 feet) with a beam of 3.20 m (10.5 feet) with a ballast keel of 3,5 tons and displacement 10 tons. The keel was later reduced to 2.75 tons
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of the world. The crossing of the
Atlantic in a small boat was still considered a major and risky undertaking, and Gerbault was not well prepared for the voyage, either in terms of equipment or experience. Although the passage was extremely arduous, and troubled by a number of equipment failures,
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The boat in which the circumnavigation was made was called
Firecrest. It was an English racing cruiser designed by Dixon Kemp and built by P. T. Harris at Rowhedge, Essex, in 1892. She was 39 feet overall, 31 feet 6 inches on the waterline, with a beam of 8 feet 6 inches, and displaced 12 tons. She
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had international call sign O.Z.Y.U. hence the title of his last book, published posthumously. He sailed again for the South
Pacific, and vanished from the public eye, spending years wandering from island to island. He wrote several books about life on the islands, and criticising the modern
389:, Samoa, and the Wallis Islands, where the boat was badly damaged during a gale. Due to Gerbault's fame by this time, he was able to secure considerable assistance in salvaging and repairing the boat, and on December 9 Gerbault sailed again. He made his way gradually to the
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of a tropical fever. His death was not widely reported until August 22, 1944, over three years later. A later report suggests that he had been imprisoned by the
Japanese. In 1947, his body was recovered and buried on Bora Bora, where a monument to him was erected.
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after 101 days at sea. Although he was not the first person to single-handedly sail the
Atlantic, he was given a hero's welcome, and was awarded the Blue Water Medal by the Cruising Club of America for his achievement. While in New York, he started his book
626:
Alain
Gerbault's tomb in Vaitape, Bora Bora, was originally on the waterfront, but later development and building of port facilities now mean that his tomb is on the side of a market building. Local people are planning to move his tomb to new place.
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At the age of twenty-one, Gerbault joined in the Flying Corps, serving as an officer; by the end of the war, he was a decorated hero. After the war, he took up tennis, becoming the French champion, and also
444:. He received another hero's welcome for his circumnavigation, the third single-handed circumnavigation of the world, during which he had spent 700 days at sea and covered more than 40,000 miles.
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378:. At this time he began writing extensively on the history and society of the Pacific islands, and criticising the colonial exploitation of the natives.
202:, where he wrote several books about the islanders' way of life. As a tennis player he was ranked the fifth on the French rankings in 1923.
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islands, where he spent ten months working on another book. On May 6, 1929, he finally sailed for home, stopping at the
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he entered and won the tennis championship of Panama. He sailed again on May 31, 1924, and after stopping in the
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After returned home, Gerbault soon discovered that he missed the
Pacific islands and decided to return there.
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The fight of the
Firecrest: The record of a lone-hand cruise from East to West across the Atlantic
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was long and narrow, with a deep keel and three and a half tons of lead for ballast.
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type. He had for long time admired the
Norwegian rescue and pilot boats designed by
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was by now well worn, so he decided to build a new boat. This boat was of the
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was given a major refit in New York, including a conversion from gaff to
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The boat was built by Paul Jouët boatyard and launched 4 June 1931 at
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214:, to an upper-middle-class family. He spent much of his youth in
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842:"Long Way Across The Atlantic", October 1931, Popular Mechanics
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While visiting England in 1921 to play tennis, he came across
657:, Paris, Éditions Self (impr. de Le Moil et Pascaly), 1949.
182:(November 17, 1893 – December 16, 1941) was a French
350:, Panama, on April 1, 1924, and after passing through the
226:, as well as hunting and fishing. At college he studied
639:, Alain Gerbault, New York, D. Appleton and Co., 1926.
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sailor. He eventually settled in the islands of south
683:, Richard Henderson; page 19. A&C Black, 1988.
651:, Alain Gerbault, London, Hodder and Stoughton, 1933.
645:, Alain Gerbault, London, Hodder and Stoughton, 1930.
773:(in French). Paris: Bernard Grasset. pp. 48–50.
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Gerbault at the aft deck with his hand on the tiller
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to continue his circumnavigation, heading first for
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In quest of the sun: The journal of the "Firecrest"
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838:An illustrated article about Gerbault's adventure
788:(in French). Paris: Bernard Grasset. p. 257.
366:, after 49 days at sea. He went on to visit the
210:Alain Gerbault was born on November 17, 1893, in
663:, Alain Gerbault, Paris, Bernard Grasset, 1952.
759:, from the Joshua Slocum Society International
8:
705:"Makes first one-man voyage across Atlantic"
589:due to a lot of heavy gear carried onboard.
568:at Motu Uta island, Papeete, Tahiti, in 1940
385:set sail again on May 21, 1926, stopping in
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584:and the rescue boat plans was published in
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222:; he spent his summers playing tennis and
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906:French military personnel of World War I
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16:French sailor, writer, and tennis player
703:March, C.L., ed. (September 27, 1923).
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614:Gerbault died on December 16, 1941, in
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303:On June 6, 1923, Gerbault set off from
886:Single-handed circumnavigating sailors
655:Un paradis se meurt (Le Grand dehors)
338:. In September, 1923, Gerbault left
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180:Alain Jacques Georges Marie Gerbault
40:Alain Jacques Georges Marie Gerbault
891:Recipients of the Legion of Honour
661:O.Z.Y.U. : "dernier journal"
249:, an old British-designed 39-foot
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800:The Circumnavigators — Chapter 16
505:Gerbault in the main companionway
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735:The Circumnavigators — Chapter 8
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756:List Of Solo Circumnavigators
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896:Blue Water Medal recipients
715:(18). Arlington PTG. Co.: 4
218:, near the ancient port of
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911:People from Laval, Mayenne
901:French male tennis players
836:Gerbault and the Firecrest
322:The Fight of the Firecrest
153:Grand Slam doubles results
98:Grand Slam singles results
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786:O.Z.Y.U. Dernier Journal
784:Gerbault, Alain (1952).
771:O.Z.Y.U. Dernier Journal
769:Gerbault, Alain (1952).
31:Gerbault (right) in 1929
399:Cocos (Keeling) Islands
397:, where he visited the
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381:After more refitting,
358:islands he arrived in
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649:The gospel of the sun
611:western way of life.
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420:Gerbault rounded the
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190:champion, who made a
45:Country (sports)
832:at Wikimedia Commons
681:Singlehanded Sailing
393:, and thence to the
709:The Arlington Times
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806:2006-05-10 at the
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586:Keble Chatterton's
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283:Gerbault visiting
194:of the world as a
828:Media related to
598:L'Alain Gerbault.
448:Gallery Firecrest
442:Cherbourg Harbour
422:Cape of Good Hope
368:Marquesas Islands
346:. He arrived in
228:civil engineering
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133:Other tournaments
76:December 16, 1941
63:November 17, 1893
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364:French Polynesia
328:for his voyage.
326:Légion d'honneur
312:circumnavigation
275:Circumnavigation
192:circumnavigation
104:French Open
87:Portuguese Timor
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78:(1941-12-16)
876:1941 deaths
871:1893 births
535:in New York
336:bermuda rig
265:Southampton
865:Categories
668:References
620:East Timor
603:Later life
434:Cape Verde
432:, and the
407:Madagascar
206:Early life
59:1893-11-17
851:Wimbledon
719:March 28,
574:Firecrest
533:Firecrest
520:in Monaco
518:Firecrest
491:Firecrest
476:Firecrest
462:Firecrest
430:Ascension
415:Christmas
403:Mauritius
387:Bora Bora
383:Firecrest
360:Mangareva
356:Galapagos
332:Firecrest
305:Gibraltar
295:Firecrest
247:Firecrest
163:3R (1920)
159:Wimbledon
143:3R (1922)
128:3R (1924)
118:2R (1921)
114:Wimbledon
108:2R (1931)
804:Archived
739:Archived
478:sailplan
417:, 1927.
372:Tuamotus
340:New York
317:New York
285:Tahitian
255:cruising
224:football
220:St. Malo
173:F (1921)
68:, France
344:Bermuda
148:Doubles
124:US Open
93:Singles
687:
438:Azores
411:Durban
405:, and
376:Tahiti
374:, and
370:, the
287:Queen
269:Cannes
251:racing
236:bridge
216:Dinard
188:tennis
184:sailor
48:France
631:Works
362:, in
348:Colón
289:Marau
263:, at
261:sloop
721:2014
713:XXXV
685:ISBN
616:Dili
258:gaff
169:WHCC
139:WHCC
83:Dili
73:Died
53:Born
849:at
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695:^
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57:(
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