Human testimony:The architect: the Norwegian Johan Anker (1871 – 1940) worked as an architect between 1905 and his death in 1940, devoting himself almost exclusively to international regatta boats, up to 15 meters. During his lifetime, he was famous for the performances of his measurement boats, but today he is known above all as the architect of the most famous and most widespread one-design regatta keelboat, Olympic series from 1948 to 1972: the Dragon , designed in 1929. The first owner, Robert Meiffre, raced 170 regattas in the 8 meter JI class between 1924 and 1930, mainly on the Côte d'Azur but also in Le Havre and Arcachon. Out of these 170 regattas he won 63 victories, which makes Enchantement the most successful French 8 meter of his time, if we take the number of victories as a criterion. In 1928, when she was already a very old boat by class standards, she narrowly missed victory in the 1928 Olympic selections against Aile VI: well ahead in the last decisive regatta, she dismasted, and it was Aile VI who went to Amsterdam to finally win the gold medal.Technical or conceptual testimony:Enchantment is an 8m JI well representative of its time and the genius of Anker, without any particular originality other than a maximum width of what we find in the class. The deck plan is absolutely classic, with a particularity visible in period photos and noted during the dismantling of the 1936 bridge: the gunwales have a variable width, tapering at the ends and wider in the middle. Very rare on current boats (I only know Aria which reproduces this particularity).Testimony of an event or a past activity:Enchantment is the only 8 meter commissioned by a French owner from a foreign architect before the Second World War. This choice can be explained as follows: in 1922, Johan Anker was in Le Havre, at the helm of his 8 meter Bera, to try to win the Coupe de France, and he actually won, ahead of Virginie Hériot on Aile II ( Arbaut, 1922). The following year, it was with Ranja that he won the Coupe de France again, this time ahead of Namoussa (also Arbaut 1922). Finally, with Bera, he also won the 1924 Olympic Games, still in Le Havre. This series of Norwegian victories clearly dealt a blow to French morale. Le Yacht devoted a long article to it in its issue of July 21, 1923, which included several photos of Ranja and a comparative table of his gauge measurements with those of his unfortunate adversary, Namoussa. It was therefore in this context of repeated French defeats against Anker's boats that Robert Meiffre ordered Enchantement, which was built just after Ranja (and just before Varg). By making this choice, he was sure to dominate his compatriots quite easily in the Franco-French regattas (and he actually succeeded) but he renounced the Coupe de France, reserved for “national” built boats (that is Virginie Hériot which will bring it back to France, in 1929, with Aile VI).Other notable elements:Chronology:First owner mentioned previously. Second owner: Mr. Romieux was the owner of a shipyard in Marseille, the Liane shipyard. He was a member of the Société Nautique de Marseille. He gave Enchantment the name Vert-Galant II. Nothing is known about the first Vert-Galant, but Vert-Galant III, which still bears this name today, is a 6 meter JI also designed by Anker, which was built for M. de Saint-Senoch, the son by Virginie Hériot, and who is sailing today in Noirmoutier. Vert-Galant III is classified as a historic monument. In April 1936, Vert-Galant II was “transformed into a cruiser by the addition of a deckhouse and very practical interior accommodation” by its owner's shipyard. The original skylight is reassembled on the new deckhouse. The deck is redone with teak slats. The names of the owners who took over from Mr. Romieux remain to be discovered. According to the Frenchification act, the boat was registered in Noirmoutier around 1970. We find traces of the boat when Mr. Philippe Salvetat bought it, around 1975. The boat was then based in Saint-Tropez. In 1975, the bridge was already covered with plywood. Mr Salvetat tried to remove the plywood to salvage the teak slats but found it was impossible. So he put back some plywood. All the metal frames, except six between the bow and the mast foot, were replaced by glued laminated iroko, with stainless steel screws. In 2008, the bridge was completely rebuilt in accordance with the original plan: no deckhouse, just a flat-deck clerestory (see detailed story attached). Alexandre Geoffroy hands it over to Thierry Verneuil in 2020