PARISIAN POWERBOAT PIONEER

Founded in 1905, Despujols was one of the rst great names of international powerboating. Its nal boats built in the 1960s mark the end of the golden age of varnished wooden runabouts and artisanal yards

- GERALD GUETAT

A recent restoration has shone a light on rare 1960s Parisian runabouts, from the likes of the almost completely forgotten Despujols boatyard, suggesting that swathes of powerboating history are like terra incognita – white spaces on ancient maps hinting at undiscovered worlds.

These territories have evolved tremendously since the middle of the last century. Some careful exploration is needed to retrace the beginnings and the end of the Despujols boatyard, from which only a handful of boats remain today.

The name has been associated with the Bordeaux region for many generations, often in connection with notable vineyards. The city of Bordeaux, with its large harbor and strategic importance in the trade of exotic boatbuilding timbers, spawned a number of yards on the banks of the Garonne river in the 19th century; these include Barre, Bonnin-Fils, Giese, Guesdon, Meyney, and Stribeau & Fils.

Despujols’s name may also be found in relation to boats or ships in some of the wine city’s chronicles, but it made a more definitive mark in the nearby town of Arcachon at the beginning of the 20th century. Around this time, the challenge of mechanization was being met by a number of men imbued with great energy, not to mention money. While some ambitions were automotive, others pursued aviation or powerboating – sometimes all three. It is believed that the Despujols yard was rst established in Arcachon in 1905.