Jean-Luc Fardin : my Reverso sails-out every day

Jean-Luc can't wait: "my dream sailing session ? It would be a good westerly wind between Barbatre and Gueriniere to make a great 7 miles leg full speed on the reach. That's what I'm waiting for. "For this pharmacist from Nantes, it's not time to sail yet, but he's counting the days before he can put his back in the water again.

[Editor's note: ITW performed just before the end of may 2020 lockdown]

In Fromentine, facing Noirmoutier, he is out on the ocean every day during the summer. Sometimes, this fifty-year-old takes his grandchildren for a little outing, but more often, it is an excellent escapade along the beaches of Noirmoutier. "I leave with a VHF, a mobile phone, and I'm never very far from the coast," explains Jean-Luc, who likes the light weather as much as the strong winds. "At 7 knots, I'm out sailing. I don't go out when it's less, as there is a lot of current in Fromentine. I'm having fun in the calm, with a kid, it's very nice. But I also like more tonic conditions. From 20 knots, it's nice, and at 25 knots, the Reverso is perfect. On a sheltered stretch of water like the Bay of Fromentine, we're on a plane. When you go out with 25 knots for two hours on a small sailboat, you sleep well at night! »

When I want to sail, I just take the boat down, put it in the water anywhere, and I don't need anybody. The simpler it is, the more the boat sails!

This former racer sailor, a water-skiing enthusiast, likes "when speed is involved "I had my doubts about the rigidity of the whole thing, but it was a preconceived idea before I tested it. You always have to make up your mind when you test the product. That's what I did in La Baule, and I was hooked in. I compare the boat to a small go-kart, it's very lively, that's what I like".

Windsurfing, catamaran, cruising, Jean-Luc has sailed everything that floats, or almost, but he swears by the monohull dinghy. The craft requires finesse at the helm, offers sensations, and, above all, has no equivalent in terms of simplicity. "I don't have a lot of time, and the monohull is easy to handle. When I want to sail, I just take the boat down, launch it anywhere and don't need anyone. The simpler it is, the more the boat sails. My Reverso sails out every day while the big cruisers,  sleep often are stuck in marinas. »

In a few days or a few weeks, Jean-Luc will also be setting sail again. We'll be able to see the silhouette of his Reverso a little bit everywhere along the coast of Noirmoutier as he has planned to sail around it completely.