Belle Poule

The schooner Belle Poule was built in 1932 at the Normandie shipyards in Fécamp. She is a replica of the Paimpol schooners which fished cod in Iceland. Alongside to Etoile, her sister-ship,  she is the last ship of the French Navy that served in the Free French Naval Forces during World War II. As such, they display the flag of bowsprit with the Cross of Lorraine.

While traditional, this wooden unit of the French Navy is a living school of seamanship and crew cohesion and is an outstanding maritime learning tool. Based in Brest, she participates in the maritime training for the students of the various schools of the French Navy: Ecole navale (cadets), Maistrance (warrant officers), École des Mousses (apprentices), etc. The practice of sailing allows the development of a sense of seamanship, that is to say the measure of risk and manoeuvring skills: the good manoeuvrer knows how to get out of difficult situations and takes advantage of the wind.

In addition to the nautical dimension of this sailboat, there is a unique heritage dimension. In addition to their main training mission, the sail ships are true ambassadors of the French Navy and are frequently deployed during nautical events in France and abroad.