Alain Colas
Alain Colas is a navigator French born the September 16th 1943 with Clamecy (close to Nevers in Burgundy), disappeared at sea the November 16th 1978 off the Azores.
Biography
Lecturer in Australia
After literary traditional studies and English (interpreting philology and school to the Sorbonne), it leaves at 22 years, to postulate at a station of University lecturer to Sydney, without very having the diplomas necessary. Indeed, his/her father had simply communicated to him an advertisement of this faculty seeking a lecturer , i.e. an university lecturer, and not a " reader " as Alain believed it. Essuyant a refusal, but being already prepared at the beginning, it embarks on a cargo liner for Sydney. On the spot, its base and its force of persuasion now legendary will make the remainder. It becomes university lecturer, at 22 years, St John' S College, Université of Sydney in Australia where it teaches French.Impassioned Canoe-kayak, it is at the origin of the birth of the club of Clamecy. In Australia, it passes to high speed by discovering the veil and the passion of the race to the broad one.
Team-member of Eric Tabarly
One year later, in 1966, it meets Eric Tabarly, which disputes the race Sydney-Hobart. This last proposes to him to embark on its board, on PEN Duick III, as a cook, for a tour until the New Caledonia.For Alain, the call of the sea will be stronger than a future of academic very traced. It joined Tabarly which prepares, for the Deck chair as a Recluse of 1968, a giant experimental multihull: PEN Duick IV. Alain will make all the season of race 1968-1969 with Tabarly. He learns the trade from sailor of race to broad and becomes journalist of his maritime adventures. In 1970, it repurchases in Tabarly the Trimaran PEN Duick IV.
It is with Tahiti that it meets his partner, Teura, with which it will have 3 children. To finance its adventure, he tells his voyages in the European press.
In 1972, over PEN Duick IV, it gains the fifth English Transatlantic Race as a recluse while pulverizing, with Newport, the record of the test. France is discovered a hero sympathetic nerve with the original course.
Recordman of the round the world tour to the veil as a recluse
He announces his next objective: the first round the world tour as a recluse in the multihull with PEN Duick IV renamed “Manureva” “the bird of the voyage” in Tahitien. Alain Colas crosses the Cape Horn on February 3rd, 1974. He will beat 32 days the record of the Round the world tour as a recluse held by Sir Francis Chichester, out of monoshell, and will be the first sailor to make a success of this insane bet.
Design of the sailing ship Mediterranean Club
In 1975, it conceives and implements the construction of a sailing ship of four Mât S and 75 meters length, with the point of technology, for the English Transat as a recluse of June 1976. It is gigantic “the Club the Mediterranean”.This same year 1975, at one year of the departure, its ankle is completely divided by a rope of Manureva. Twenty two operations later, the man and the boat are at the beginning with Plymouth.
Terrible storms (five Dépression S will be followed in northern Atlantique) involving ruptures Drisse S plus a false advertisement of the arrival of a sailing ship of the race close to the American coasts make him decide on 36 hours a technical stopover to Newfoundland. It will arrive second at Newport, 4 hours after Eric Tabarly.
In 1976, he sponsors the 8th Course Cruising Edhec, which takes place from March 28th to April 3rd, 1976 with Perros-Guirec and Guernesey. He then writes in his single style " I am happy to greet this new edition of the Race Cruising EDHEC which translates the company spirit and the determination of a homogeneous team and gives to a growing number the opportunity to taste with the tournaments the broad one. The sail can be at the same time competition, leisure, passion; it is a manner of potluck where a marvellous banquet would be drawn up at any moment for which in growth vigorously the door, its bag under the bras."
Disappearance
In 1978, it takes part in its last race, that which it will never gain: on its “old man” Manureva, it takes the departure of the first Route of Rum. Its last message will be on November 16th 1978 with 4:00 of the morning: “I am in the eye of the cyclone. There is no more sky, all is amalgam of elements, there are water mountains around me…” It was at the head but the storm which breaks out the following days will be right of this sailor of exception.Contrary to the traditional multihulls whose construction materials are insubmersible or float between two water in the event of serious accident (structure honeycomb, composite), Manureva was a sinkable multihull conceived in AG4 (Aluminum) what did not make it possible to find the least index or remains material ship which could have drifted.
Alain Colas and the song
This drama inspired Serge Gainsbourg which composed in 1979 for Alain Chamfort the song “Manureva”.
| Random links: | Course ventures in forest | 1853 in music | Azzanello | Ford Capri | Calçoene |