Boat builder Nöel Maurel at work on Blue Shadow in his garden in Pereybere, approximately two km north of Grand Bay Yacht Club.
Images thanks to Nöel Maurel’s daughter Marie-Antoinette Maurel
Launch day 25 June 1975
The wood Boats of Nöel Maurel
Over the years Nöel Maurel built eight sailing vessels. Blue Shadow was his seventh teak boat.
Personal account by his daughter Marie Antoinette:
“The first 6 were built at Atelier Maurel in Riviere du Rempart, a family company where he was working. From what I know, he built all the boats below in Teak.
- Armel I – around 32 Feet, in 1960 for himself, the boat has been in Reunion island since 1966.
- Capitaine Shulz – for a friend call around 1964. Yves’s son,Thierry Betuel owned this boat for a while, the boat is still in Mauritius I think.
- Anouchka, around 36 Feet, built in 1965 for Claude Lagesse, Boat in Reunion Island since 2015.
- Vanessa, around 36 feet, built in 1968 for Mr Sauzier now in French Polynesia.
- Armel II, around 36 feet, built in 1970 for himself, my dad did the Cape town to Rio Race in 1971, boat in Reunion Island since 1973, owned by my friend Thierry Riviere.
- Anaik II, around 36 Feet, built in 1972 for Guy Humbert. Still in Mauritius.
Then the last two were built in our Garden in Pereybere.
- Blue Shadow built in 1975 for Yves Betuel. 44 feet, Sloop.
- Armel III, Launched in 1980, he took 18 months to build it, himself with one worker called Karl Merne, who is still doing the maintenance on the boat for us. 47 Feet, 2 Masts, Schooner.”