The autumn literary season in France now sports a new book prize : the Belem Prize, awarded by the eminent Maritime Writers' Group to a publication typifying the values of adventure and commitment learnt at sea. The winner of this first prize of six thousand euros was Isabelle Autissier, the well-known French woman navigator, for the biography of Yves de Kerguelen, who in the 17th century discovered the group of island now known as the Kerguelen Isles in the South Atlantic.
A “beautiful book” prize was also awarded to Jean-Pierre Mélis for his illustrated book on the Flanders fishermen who, generations ago, used to sail for months along the coasts of Iceland, fishing for cod.
Great sailing weather made for many happy trainees on board the Belem during the ship's September voyages along the coasts of Normandy and Brittany. Winds of up to 50 knots meant a lot of hoisting, trimming and dousing of sails, sometimes under quite heavy rainfalls, but that's what sailing is all about... and the very many new trainees were delighted to discover what sailing a three masted barque in that kind of weather really meant in terms of work and seamanship for the crews of yesteryear...
Lauréate du premier Prix Belem des Ecrivains de Marine , Isabelle Autissier depuis l'hémisphère sud nous parle de son ouvrage et de sa vision de l'aventure maritime aujourd'hui.
