l’Olivette people No.10
Chantal and Jean-Francois
I encountered Chantal at Olivette a few weeks ago after returning from a mornings paddle boarding. She was walking along the seafront picking up bits of rubbish from the beach. She told me that she does this every morning after arriving to spending time on her pointu. It turned out that Chantal and her husband have only recently joined the small family of Pointu owners here.
Lovers of Cap d’Antibes and in particular the small beach next to the port, Chantal and her husband, Jean-Francois have been coming here since 1978. Both had long dreamt of being able to sail on the beautiful Mediterranean coast here and explore the stunning coastline and Islands.
Therefore they are now over the moon at their recent purchase of a traditional and authentic Latine Sail Pointu and their acceptance into the Olivette family.
Originally from Provence Chantal and Jean-Francois have been coming to the little beach just to the side of Olivette for over 40 years. They spent many summers admiring the l’Abri de l’Olivette and the traditional pointus anchored there. Like most people they fell in love with the Cap and more specifically with the idea of one day owning their own Pointu.
When they retired the couple moved to Juan les Pins and decided to try to make their dream come true.
In 2020, after waiting for 2 years, they were offered a spot in l’abri de l’Olivette and they are thrilled to be here.
Chantal and Jean-Francois purchased their Pointu very recently from a real old Antibois fisherman who had maintained and kept it afloat for over 50 years. Although there are quite a few for sale Pointus can range in price from a few thousand to 25,000 plus Euros. It took Jean-Francois a while to find a good one and also one at a good price but eventually he found ‘Klebert’.
Klebert was named after the original owners father in law however it will soon be renamed Blue Cap to reflect this couples love of Cap d’Antibes.
Apparently renaming a Pointu isn’t a straight forward process. You have to apply for the name change and wait for official permission to do so. Only once you have your certificate of approval can you remove the original plaque and replace it with your new one.
Who would have thought it?
How long have you had Klebert?
We bought the boat this year. We have been waiting 2 years to get a place in l’Abri de l’Olivette. Jean-Francois first came to meet with Olivier here 2 years ago and we were granted a spot earlier this year. We were so happy when they accepted us and are extremely grateful to Olivier and the rest of the members for having us as part of their family.
It then took some time to find a good Pointu. Jean-Francois eventually found this one in Antibes.
Who did you buy it from?
We bought Klebert from a true Antibois fisherman who had fished in it all of his life.
We specifically looked for a pointu with the sails, called a Voile Latine. I had seen Les Voiles Latines races on the internet and thought it would be fun to learn to sail a Pointu like they did traditionally. In the past you didn’t have an engine just your oars and sails.
Do you have plans to change it at all?
Yes, we plan to restore it this winter. We are going to change the colours and strip off the many layers of paint. We would like to take the rail back to its natural wood as we think it will look more beautiful. In some places you can see the many different layers of paint and colours it has had over the years.
When will you rename it?
Right now we are waiting for our official permission and the new sign but soon hopefully.
To rename a Pointu is a great tradition. You have to have a little ceremony with the members of the association. It’s like a Baptism but of a boat. We plan to have a small apero when we rename her to celebrate.
So the dream is now a reality?
They didn’t need to reply as the massive smiles on both of their faces when we met said it all.
Maybe this will be me one day. I hope so.
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