Farewell Jean Marie Finot, gone is the guru who revolutionized modern sailing

One of the geniuses of naval architecture, Jean Marie Finot, a pioneer in the world of sailboat design as well as one of the designers who most influenced modern hulls, has passed away at the age of 83. A volcanic, not-so-easy-tempered man, he founded his own firm in 1972, then from 1985 linked up with what was then an emerging name, Pascal Conq, resulting in a series of legendary projects signed precisely with the legendary Finot-Conq acronym.

Jean Marie Finot, the myth between regatta and cruise

The legend of Jean Marie Finot was born primarily with a boat, the Ecume de Mer, which is said to have been conceived during an apprenticeship period Finot was serving at Philippe Harlè’s studio. Finot had intended the boat for small cruises, but in fact he soon realized how fast enough the hull was. She won the Quarter Ton Cup in 1970 and by 1975 was chosen as the boat for Tour de France sailing.

Finot’s name then became well known in the world of shipbuilding and soon they were knocking on his door, first the Beneteau shipyard, which entrusted him with the origins of the highly successful First series (of which he signed many models), then also the Italian Comar where Jean Marie was to build some iconic models, such as the Comet 800 or the 910. Before that, however, in 1972, Jean Marie Finot signed a milestone for the Cantiere del Pardo, the Grand Soleil 34, a boat that marked an era and kick-started the fortunes of the Italian house.

With Pascal Conq begins Jean Marie Finot’s “oceanic” phase. First the Mini 650s, then the very successful Figaro 1 for Beneteau, which was chosen for the Solitaire du Figaro, from whose hull the First 31.7 would later be born. The time for the big leap was ripe, and the 1990s marked for the duo the period of great ocean racing successes. Finot-Conq would design several Open 60s, which later became the Imoca class, and would win four times in a row the Vendée Globe, a non-stop solo round-the-world race (1993, 1997, 2001 and 2005), and three times in a row the BOC Challenge (solo round-the-world race) in 1991, 1995 and 1999 with Giovanni Soldini’s Fila, designed in collaboration with Andrea Romanelli .

leggi anche

Old boat makes good board! The legendary Fraglia schooner has been “re-launched” after 50 years.

The Finot-Conq studio, even in recent times, has remained very active, not only on the yachting and cruising front with its long union with Beneteau, but also on the ocean racing front. The recent partnership with Antoine Koch has led to successful projects such as Yoann Richomme’s Arkea Paprec, which came second at the Vendée Globe, and we recall that Ambrogio Beccaria bought the sistership, formerly Vulnerable, which will become Allagrande Mapei Racing. With Jean Marie Finot goes one of the most influential naval designers of the contemporary era of sailboats.

Mauro Giuffrè