What happened next?

[Ben]

.

 

[Rockey]

rolled

is this where the french f1 driver rolled it and was killed D PERRIONE or something like that

 

[Jon]

I know this one,

The number 8 peels of the side of Pinot.

 

[Ben]

Sadly, Rockey is right. The picture was taken early in the 1987 Needles Trophy Race with 'Colibri' piloted by Didier Pironi and crewed by Jean Claude Guenard and Bernard Giroux leading Renoto Della Valle's 'Pinot di Pinot'. 'Colibri' barrel rolled near Freshwater Bay and the crew were lost.

 

[dbe1]

Was there some discussion at the time regarding the suitability of the hull, seem to remember that "an expert" and there is always one around said that the hull was more suited to running on lakes than offshore, I presume he was saying medium V rather than deep V.

Of course I could be talking complete c%ap

 

[Rockey]

1987

Sadly, Rockey is right. The picture was taken early in the 1987 Needles Trophy Race with 'Colibri' piloted by Didier Pironi and crewed by Jean Claude Guenard and Bernard Giroux leading Renoto Della Valle's 'Pinot di Pinot'. 'Colibri' barrel rolled near Freshwater Bay and the crew were lost.

ben me and a mate both had 18 rings and where on our way from lea on solent to poole saw the boats coming watched them go by after that is when he rolled it great looking boat

 

[Jon]

Yeah ok, ok,

and then the number 8 peeled off the side of Pinot.

 

[LorenZo]

Hi,
Remember the Race - Saw a big water splash about half a mile - not quite sure where we were but I think the boats were coming back I think from Needles Fairway. We were patrolling in mi Pa's P28.

We then supported and saw the aftermath another small patrol boat had I think 2 crew on board and were doing what they could. We I think had a Doctor on board and so would have transferred.

Remaining crewmember was still on board. We towed the upturned boat towards the IOW then a larger boat dealt with. Think they lifted the boat out or were planning to at
out at Yarmouth.

During the tow back the press came out and took photo's from a chopper - doing what they like doing best.

Peroni was cool - "Grand Prix International" a Glossy publication covered GPs when at that time Autosport was printed on Bog Roll - Peroni, Villeneuve (Gilles - Jac's Dad) were near gods driving 800+Hp Turbo Ground Effect Ferrari's until summer 82 - Villeneuve killed Zolder and Peroni near losing his feet think at Hockenheim when he hit the back of cruising Prost's Renault in the Rain. But the 82 San Marino GP was an epic Peroni won but in doing so never spoke to Villeneuve again - It was like something from Rome: http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_feature_item.php?fes_art_id=10209

The previous year at Cowes - we had dinner in same Hotel as the Peroni crew - I wanted to get his Autograph but didn't - A year later I regretted that.

The Prize giving at the RM and the following year were what Vinnie Jones might call Emotional.

 

[LorenZo]

Sorry - if am currently the nobber Boatmad thread killer.
LoZer

 

[littlenige]

Wasn´t the accident the result of running over the wake of a commercial vessel?

 

[FrenchPhil]

Yes in the wake of a petrol tanker. The hull was definitely offshore but a very light
carbon/kevlar vacuum bagged boat similar to this one:

 

[verytricky]

Could you design a canopy onto it? Or does that require much to much modification?

 

[Ciao]

They were motoring when they came past us on that leg - but talk about chine walking! Seem to remember prize giving was cancelled...which suited because we all just wanted to go home.

 

[Pennpromo]

I was about 50 yds behind Didier and his crew in Babycresci. We ran our boat out of his workshop just outside St Tropez for a month between the French and Italian races that Summer. We went to his house for barbies, and out drinking with him and his team, he was one of the nicest, kindest "megastars" you could meet. Enc a pic I took in Arendal or Oregrund, can't recall.
It was a flat day in Poole Bay and we were running at the better part of 100MPH. Didier's boat was very quick when they trimmed it out but also very very flighty, because of Didier's weak legs they all sat in the boat and were strapped in, with no canopy. They did hit the old wake of a big boat and it rolled very fast. We saw it happen and managed to slow for the wake which was massive. There was a patrol boat close and we and Pinot circled the boat twice but there was nothing we could do, so we carried on, only to blow a motor. When we eventually got back to Poole Quay we heard the inevitable. I sat on the deck of the boat, on the trailer, in tears for about an hour, collecting my thoughts. Still makes me shiver when I think about it. Nearly hung up my helmet that day ...

 

[littlenige]

I seem to recall that somebody bought the hull and did in fact put a canopy on it - who bought it and what happened to it?

 

[FrenchPhil]

The boat was sold to a fellow racer Jean Pierre Jarrier. The boat is said to be still in St Tropez.

 

[littlenige]

It´s probably been turned into some kind of weekender by now............twin diesels and all...........
It always struck me that the stability of the boat just needed to be enhanced through the inclusion of more in the way of spray rails.

 

[Ben]

The boat was still racing in the early 90's . I have a video of it somewhere. I'll dig it out.

 

[Ben]

Colibri was raced as Leader in Guernsey in 90 by B. Feeler & J.M. Sanchez according to the Guernsey programme. The boat was built by the ACX yard in France and now resides in The French Automobile Museum (Manoir de l'Automobile) in Loheac, Brittany.

 

[MikeyFIN]

All this can be found from here.

Didier Pironi