Everything is done to confuse. The title Fils de la mer written by Yvan Bourgnon does not indicate whether this book is about the son Laurent, Yvan or both? The cover photo which indeed presents the two young brothers adds to this confusion. The photos that illustrate the center of the book also essentially put Laurent in the center. And the beginning of the story tells of the first deckchair of the Bourgnon parents when Yvan is not yet born?
You have to read on to understand that it is indeed the trajectory of the yachtsman Yvan Bourgnon that is described, even if it regularly overlaps with that of his brother Laurent. And one can clearly feel the influence of the elder's course on that of the "little" last one. This Laurent, to whom everything succeeds for him and Yvan's difficulties in achieving his goals.
Wanting to follow too much, often with a late wagon, Yvan advances from galley to galley. In ocean racing, he will never be able to show his abilities and achieve results. Some say he's a horsewoman, others say he's unlucky, but ocean racing won't give him back all the effort he's put in. It's finally in light sailing (sport catamaran) that Yvan manages to get out of the game. But surprisingly, these successes are not highlighted in this biography. His exceptional single-handed round the world voyage on his small catamaran is only presented as a means of meeting his brother in Polynesia.
This book tells the story of this second of the siblings, from the family world tour that marked his youth to the launch of The Sea Cleaners project that now occupies him full time. It looks back at all the great moments of the ORMA class that marked the 90's of ocean racing. The names of the skippers and the boats come back in our memories with pleasure when reading these pages.
In the middle of these nautical stories, the importance of Laurent on his brother's character is highlighted. This is not a praise to Laurent, but a tribute to him. And to discover Yvan's life of adventure and adventures.
Sons of the sea - A life of adventure - Yvan Bourgnon
- Editions Arthaud
- 13.5 x 22 cm
- 295 pages
- 19.90 euros
