Launch Day

For more than four years, Petit Loir had existed primarily as an idea. I ordered her in February 2022; the launch finally took place on 8 April 2026. After so long, it felt strange that the theoretical boat was suddenly there in front of me.

I had travelled to the yard in Tréguier with a friend. It was a clear spring morning, and Petit Loir stood outside on supports, looking substantial but still incomplete without her mast. The yard was quiet, giving us time to look closely at all the details.

We watched as the massive tractor and trailer arrived, expecting that it might take a while to get everything moving. Instead, the team worked with remarkable professionalism and speed. They loaded the approximately 13- to 14-tonne boat onto the trailer, secured her, attached the Convoi Exceptionnel sign, and waved for us to follow the convoy.

Everything went smoothly. Even so, the moment the hull first touched the water was a relief. After a whole four years of plans, decisions and waiting, Petit Loir was no longer a project under construction. She was floating.

Once the boat had been brought alongside, a crane lifted the mast carefully into place. It was an impressive operation, and I was still somewhat flabbergasted by how smoothly everything went and how well it was orchestrated. The engine was tested, the boat was secured at the quay, and only then could I finally step aboard.

She was still unmistakably a building site. Tape and protective cardboard covered much of the exterior, and plenty of work remained. The opening around the centreboard had not yet been sealed; from inside the boat, I could reach through it and touch the water beneath us. It was a reminder that, although afloat, Petit Loir was not quite ready for an adventure.

The workers came aboard almost immediately and resumed the finishing work. There was little time for contemplation. In the space of a single morning, Petit Loir had become real—and then the work simply continued.