boat hire in La Rochelle · Gerard De Vries Lentsch — Goélette à Voile D'etais (1934)

The Saint Christophe was designed in 1934 for a French diplomat by Victor Brix: she was sold soon after in 1936 upon her first owner passing away at the age of 46 and disappeared from the family horizon. After WWII she made a name for herself as Lumberjack under the ownership of sir Max Aitken, First Lord Beaverbrook, notably a victory in real and compensated time in the Hamble-Le Havre race of 1954, breaking Bachante's previous record for this race, 2 years earlier, extensively related by Uffa Fox. She was found and purchased by the grand children of the first owner in 2009, and underwent a complete refit in Turquey from 2010 to 2014 and reverted to her original name. She is well appointed with comfortable and unusually roomy accommodations. Her staysail self-tacking rig makes her a joy to sail and can be easily managed by a limited crew. She can handle strong weather safely and in relative comfort. She has been entrusted by her owners to an association and participates in many of the classical events and regatas of the French Atlantic coast. She is also available for charter with or without a skipper, although it is strongly recommended to hire a professional skipper familiar with the boat and this type of rig. Cruising at 7 knots with or without engine, l'Ile d'Yeu and the islands of South Brittany are a day sail away.