The 'Association Tourville' counts nearly 2600 members from all over France and Europe: it is carrying out a project to build the greatest historical French sailing ship ever seen, based on archaeological data collected from wrecks found at La Hougue and in the historic 17th century 'Album Colbert'.
The Jean Bart, a 17th century 'First-Rate ship' (84 guns, 57 metres long) is a real "cathedral of the seas": it will be built as a homage to the greatest of the Sun King’s privateers. It will be the focus of a historic theme park created in Gravelines, near Dunkirk. Its theme will be privateers and Louis XIV’s navy.
Photos by Wilfried Geens
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