Mr. Jean Fabre started to sail 8 metres in 1980 with his friend Daniel Metzger on TIGRE (now called GLANA, a 1946 design by Riemers).
In 1977 Mr. Fabre acquired modern 8 metre Dolphin (1984 Pelle Peterson design) and renamed her Yquem. Fabre’s Yquem made a grand entry to the Class by winning the Worlds on Lake Geneva in 1998. Thereafter Yquem won three 2nd places (1999 La Trinité, 2002 Helsinki and 2003 La Trinité). Gaston Schmaltz’s Fleurs de Lys (2002 Jacques Fauroux design) just beat YQUEM in Helsinki 2002. Later in 2008 Mr. Fabre acquired Fleurs de Lys from Mr Schmaltz. She was renamed "YQUEM II". The first YQUEM was sold to Canada to Mr. Guy Jones and continues to race actively at RCYC, Toronto on the Lake Ontario.
YQUEM II continued to sail successfully under the new ownership winning the European Cup in Kiel in 2010 and sailing on 2nd places in Hanko, Norway 2008 and Hyères, France in 2009. In Cowes YQUEM II was challenging Lafayette hard, until in Race 3 following a sudden jib in 30 knots of wind right on the finish line she broke her mast. YQUEM II finished 2nd one second behind Lafayette.
Mr Jean Fabre comments: ”It is a great pleasure for me and my crew to return to Helsinki that brought us great memories, great sailing with a record participation of 39 boats. It is an exceptional visual show, as much as at sea as at the harbour. The welcoming and the organization has been exceptional and many events very exciting. You could feel through the Finnish hospitality the real passion of sailing and the love of the traditional marine and the sports spirit.”
We look forward to tough racing between the modern eights next summer with Yquem II, Hollandia and Australian Juanita on the start line, not to mention the new mast of Yquem II. Welcome to Helsinki YQUEM II and her crew!
3/5/2013 06:48
