Provocative proa art
GALLERY | Click images to enlarge
There are no more audacious multihull sailors, designers and builders on the planet than the French. The modern, post-war multihull boom may have begun in the U.S., but in 1936, it was Frenchmen Eric de Bisschop and Joseph Tatiboet who first pitched a tent on a secluded, shady spot of Waikiki Beach, to build Kaimiloa. The “mad Frenchmen” sailed safely back to France, via the Cape of Good Hope, and the French have been mad about multihulls ever since.
The French multi-mania includes proas (a particularly virulent strain) and designer Denis Kergomard appears to be particularly stricken. These are some of the best proa designs I have ever seen, and I’ve seen more than a few. Wild and organic, beautiful and dangerous, Kergormard’s vessels invite us into a field of dreams. Nautical art, indeed. See more after the jump, and do be sure to check out his body of work at Alibi Architecture.
