Few yachts are more iconic than Pen Duick VI with its long and colourful history with the Whitbread Round the World Race.
Designed specifically for the 1973 Whitbread and sailed by the legendary Éric Tabarly, Pen Duick VI had to be built in record time to make it to the starting line. She was an unofficial entrant in the 1977/78 Whitbread, and in 1981/82 as Euromarché.
Marie Tabarly is now owner and skipper of the 73ft, 33-ton Pen Duick VI, the flagship of The Elemen’Terre Project, raising public awareness of major environmental and social issues.
Crew
Skipper
Half buccaneer, half Amazonian, Marie Tabarly displays an equal amount of determination on land and at sea.
Since childhood she has been cut out to swallow the miles, forging her experience on Pen Duick VI or on more modern racing boats. Between Pen Duick VI and herself, a special bond has been established, and it is on board that she likes to travel the world.
The latest addition to the Pen Duick dynasty flies the flag of environmental urgency and humanist values. Rigorous and idealistic, Marie leads her boat according to her intuitions. Sailor, artist, accomplished sportswoman, the practice of many activities close to nature have developed in her a great environmental awareness and a love of what surrounds her. A free and modern woman, tradition and the history of the elders have been a source of inspiration for her since childhood.
| No. | Name, Nationality | Sex | Leg 1 | Leg 2 | Leg 3 | Leg 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marie Tabarly, Skipper, FRA | F | ||||
| 2 | Tom Napper, First Mate, GBR | M | ||||
| 3 | Gerald Veniard, FRA | M | ||||
| 4 | Estelle Baud, FRA | F | ||||
| 5 | Véronique Bonneville, FRA | F | ||||
| 6 | Laurent Vancutsem, BEL | M | ||||
| 7 | Edith Lebon, FRA | F | ||||
| 8 | Noé Tschope, FRA | M | ||||
| 9 | Simon Lebreton, FRA | M | ||||
| 10 | Hugo Lefort, FRA | M | ||||
| 11 | Eloise Le Bras, FRA | F | ||||
| 12 | Frank Dumas, FRA | M | ||||
| 13 | Eléa Luçon, FRA | F | ||||
| 14 | Julia Joly, FRA | F | ||||
| 15 | Ondrej Kotab, CZE | M | ||||
| 16 | Anne De Kerviler, FRA | F | ||||
| 17 | Guillaume Tauran, FRA | M | ||||
| 18 | Kaï Weeks, SWE | M | ||||
| 19 | Philippe Péché, FRA | M | ||||
| 20 | Mathys Delmere, FRA | M | ||||
| 21 | Clémence Tercinier | F |
Pen Duick VI
| LOA | 73.00 ft / 22.25 m |
| Beam | 17.39 ft / 5.30 m |
| Draft | 11.15 ft / 3.40 m |
| Designer | André Mauric |
| Shipyard | Naval Shipyard Brest |
Éric Tabarly’s first class 1, he had a soft spot for this yacht designed especially for the first round the world race, the Whitbread 1973-1974.
Pen Duick VI had to be built in record time by the naval shipyard in Brest to make it to the starting line. All his chances of winning were, however, ruined by two dismastings during the 1st and 3rd legs.
In 1974, the Bermuda – Plymouth was the first of many races that would be won by the ketch, in 1976, the Atlantic Triangle and the solo Trans-Atlantic in June. This race is undoubtedly the hardest Eric Tabarly ever participated in, confronting five consecutive storms aboard a yacht designed for a crew of 14, without autopilot (broke down four days after the start).
The grand maxi would set off again in 1981 for the race around the world under the name of Euromarché. She finished 5th out of 27 although surpassed by her competitors. In the 21st century, Pen Duick VI continues to ride the world’s oceans as part of an educational sailing programme visiting Iceland, Greenland, the Caribbean, Patagonia, Antarctica.
