8 Metre I’ve designed was Gaulois in 1983 for Gaston Schmalz: the hull was aluminium, that was a first for the class. I took part to the America’s Cup on France III between 1981 and 1983 in Newport, and that inspired me as far as materials were concerned because at the time there were no restrictions and the weight was to be similar to that of wooden boats. Later, in 1986 I designed Gitana Sixty to celebrate baron de Rothschild’s sixtieth birthday, with a wooden deck and an aluminium hull, and four other identical 8 Metres called the Pandoras: La Fayette, Dora, Aluette and another one that has never been completed. The youngest one is Fleur de Lys , that was built in 2001 and I designed together with my son Nicolas. »
