© Gitana S.A.

Born on 4 June 1962 in Auray
Composite work and paint

“Hubert is an ordinary man who produces extraordinary work…” At Gitana, it is no exaggeration to say that he made possible the major winter overhaul given to the 2 trimarans by transforming the Saint-Philibert base into a veritable professional boatyard. By skilfully coordinating a site which he himself has described as “the most difficult of my career!”, he managed to get the Gitana teams working in an autonomous fashion. But Hubert is not merely content with a supervisory role. Always willing to pitch in, he is invariably still there when the others have finished, for his hobbyhorse is the paint job and decor… making these boats beautiful after having them cut, laminated, polished or reglued! And over the years, “Bébert” has worked on a vast range of projects! After training as a cabinet maker and marine carpenter, he spent no less than 7 years working on the construction of moulded wooden boats, including large units such as Dupont Durand. Later, Hubert embarked upon the Fujicolor adventure, initially alongside Mike Birch for the construction and follow-up of de Fujicolor II for 4 years. When Loïck Peyron arrived in 1992, Hubert was more at home than ever and began a 10-year collaboration that only ended in 2002 with the sinking of the boat in the Route du Rhum. In spite of everything, he continued to work with Claude Develay, for Hubert is nothing if not loyal and, all in all, spent no less than 18 years working for Fujicolor! By joining the Gitana Team in September 2005, he was reunited with the ocean-racing scene and, courtesy of Loïck’s arrival in April 2006, a solid and close-knit team has been formed. During the season, he will be involved in the work of the shore crew, but also as back-up for the management of any major work that might need to be carried out during the races…