Our history

The construction project of a ship of the line, representative of the great navy of Louis XIV finds its roots in the years 1982-1985, when Christian Cardin declared to the maritime affairs of Cherbourg, the discovery of the wrecks of 6 vessels lying off the port of Saint Vaast La Hougue, some cable lengths from the east coast of Cotentin. These wrecks are the remains of part of the fleet of Admiral Tourville, which had been armed by Louis XIV in the spring of 1692.

Afterwards, Christian Cardin nurtured the project of reconstructing one of these great ships which had been the glory of the French Navy, and created in 1992, the Association Tourville with the objective of constructing a 1st rank vessel of the 17th century. It would be the centre of interest of a craft village, itself integrated into a historic leisure park, presenting the corsairs and the navy of Louis XIV.

To legitimize the creation of the construction site of the vessel, it was necessary to give the vessel a symbolic name in honour of a great sailor of the navy of Louis XIV. The Tourville Association members naturally chose that of Jean Bart, the emblematic Dunkirk corsair of the 17th century.