Virginie Hériot
Encyclopedia
Virginie Claire Désirée Marie Hériot (July 26, 1890 – August 28, 1932) was a French
yachtswoman who won in the 1928 Summer Olympics
in the 8 Metre Aile VI. She was born in Le Vésinet
and died in Arcachon
.
's owner Olympe Hériot and Cyprienne Dubernet
, Hériot first cruised in 1904 aboard her mother's yacht Ketoomba (rechristened El Salvador in 1904), with her brother Auguste and seven friends of the family. Her Mediterranean tour from April to June of that year would have a deep impact on her life.
On May 2, 1910, at the Château de La Boissière (Yvelines
), she was married to Viscount François Marie Haincque de Saint Senoch, also impassioned by the sea. The yacht El Salvadaor was given to the couple as a wedding present, and they spent their honeymoon aboard. They begot a son, Hubert, born on January 5, 1913. In 1918, Hériot underwent a serious surgical operation, and in June 1921, she and her husband separated. She became fully dedicated to yachting after this, seldom staying at her Parisian apartment in rue de Presbourg
.
In 1912, Hériot ordered her first racer: L' Aile I, but failed reconquer the Coupe of France that the English had held for two years. In 1921, she acquired the 85-metre 1492-ton steamyacht Finlandia, which she later replaced with the 45-metre 400-ton auxiliary schooner L' Ailée, where she would spend 10 months per year.
Hériot ordered more racers: the 8 Metre L' Aile II and the 6 Metre
Petite Aile. In 1922 L' Aile II was first beaten by Bora in Le Havre, but with perseverance Hériot soon won race after race. In 1928, she won the gold medal at the Amsterdam Olympic Games
aboard Aile VI, as well as the "Cup of Italy" against Holland, Italy, England, the United States, Sweden, Norway and Argentina. In 1929, she lifted the "Coupe of France" from the English and won "His Majesty Alfonso XIII of Spain
Copa del Rey". In 1931, she won the Ryde-Le Havre-Ryde race with a lead of 9 minutes and 40 seconds on the three-masted schooner Sonia.
Following these victories, Hériot was awarded the Knighthood of the Légion d'honneur
. Alfonso XIII of Spain
made visits with his family on her schooner Ailée II and awarded her the Spanish Naval Merit in 1930. The poet Rabindranath Tagore
called her "Madame de la Mer".
Hériot promoted French yachting and French shipyard engineering throughout the world. According to Georges Leygues
, she had become a true "ambassadress of the French Navy". She was also devoted to philanthropic works, supported clubs such as the Yacht Club de France
which was chaired by Jean-Baptiste Charcot at the time, and offered Brest one-designs to the pupils of the École Navale
. She published poems, as well as a "Harbour atlas" with her own drawings.
In early 1932, she was seriously injured in a storm between Venice and Greece, but refused to retire from the competition. At the end of August, during the Arcachon
regattas, she lost consciousness aboard Aile VII, but started nevertheless. Struck by a syncope as she crossed the finishing line, she later died on August 28, 1932, aboard Ailée II. Her funeral was held on September 2 in Paris in the Saint Clotilde Basilica. Her mother, unable to order Virginie's body to be cast off the Breton coasts as per her dying wishes, had her buried in the family vault in La Boissière-École
instead. In 1948, her son honoured Virginie's wishes, and her body was finally cast to the sea.
decided at a meeting on 21 May 1946 to initiate an International Cup and name it the "Coupe Virginie Hériot". The Cup is assigned to the International Dragon Class
, but remains the property of the Yacht Club de France.
In agreement with the Committee of the International Dragon Association the "Coupe Virginie Hériot" is the main trophy of the European Dragon Championship. The event is now held annually.
1925 : Aile IV - Coupe Rylard , Coupe de la Méditerranée, Coupe Cumberland, France Champion
1925 : Aile V - Coupe de Copenhague, Coupe Porte, Coupe des Etrangers
1927 : Petite Aile II - Coupe du Cercle de la Voile de Paris, « One Ton Cup
»
1928 : Aile VI – World Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist, Coupe d'Italie, Coupe Rylard
1928 : Petite Aile II - Prix d'Honneur, Coupe Clerc-RampaI, Prix d'Honneur, Meilleur Classement, Copa del Rey Spain
1929 : Aile VI - Coupe de France, Coupe d'Or de SM Alphonse XIII
1930 : Aile VI - Coupe Macomber, Coupe Thalassa
Quart de Nuit
À bord du Finlandia
La Seconde France (Impressions sur les fêtes du Centenaire), 1931
Sur mer : impression et souvenirs, 1933
Le Vaisseau Ailée, le bateau qui a des ailes, 1931
Ailée s'en va, 1923–1927
Service à la mer, 1932
Le Bateau de mon enfance, poèmes, 1928
Une âme à la mer, 1931, couronné par l'Académie française
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
yachtswoman who won in the 1928 Summer Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
in the 8 Metre Aile VI. She was born in Le Vésinet
Le Vésinet
Le Vésinet is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center....
and died in Arcachon
Arcachon
Arcachon is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.It is a popular bathing location on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux in the Landes forest...
.
Biographie
Daughter of Grands Magasins du LouvreGrands Magasins du Louvre
Les Grands Magasins du Louvre, initially Les Galeries du Louvre, a department store in Paris, France, was founded in 1855, three years after its competitor, Le Bon Marché. Under new management as the Société du Louvre, it closed definitively in 1974. At present, the building houses the Louvre des...
's owner Olympe Hériot and Cyprienne Dubernet
Cyprienne Dubernet
Anne Marie Dubernet known as Cyprienne Dubernet, Madame Olympe Hériot and later Mrs Roger Douine , was a French patron and philanthropist who was made a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur.-Biography:...
, Hériot first cruised in 1904 aboard her mother's yacht Ketoomba (rechristened El Salvador in 1904), with her brother Auguste and seven friends of the family. Her Mediterranean tour from April to June of that year would have a deep impact on her life.
On May 2, 1910, at the Château de La Boissière (Yvelines
Yvelines
Yvelines is a French department in the region of Île-de-France.-History:Yvelines was created from the western part of the defunct department of Seine-et-Oise on 1 January 1968 in accordance with a law passed on 10 January 1964 and a décret d'application from 26 February 1965.It gained the...
), she was married to Viscount François Marie Haincque de Saint Senoch, also impassioned by the sea. The yacht El Salvadaor was given to the couple as a wedding present, and they spent their honeymoon aboard. They begot a son, Hubert, born on January 5, 1913. In 1918, Hériot underwent a serious surgical operation, and in June 1921, she and her husband separated. She became fully dedicated to yachting after this, seldom staying at her Parisian apartment in rue de Presbourg
Rue de Presbourg
Rue de Presbourg is a street in the 8th and 16th arrondissements of Paris. Since 1864 it has been named after Napoleon's 1805 diplomatic success at the Peace of Pressburg and, with the Rue de Tilsitt , it forms a circle around Place Charles-de-Gaulle....
.
In 1912, Hériot ordered her first racer: L' Aile I, but failed reconquer the Coupe of France that the English had held for two years. In 1921, she acquired the 85-metre 1492-ton steamyacht Finlandia, which she later replaced with the 45-metre 400-ton auxiliary schooner L' Ailée, where she would spend 10 months per year.
Hériot ordered more racers: the 8 Metre L' Aile II and the 6 Metre
6 Metre (keelboat)
The International Six Metre Class is a class of racing yachts. Six Metre boats are a construction class, meaning that the boats are not identical but are all designed to meet specific measurement formula, in this case International Rule...
Petite Aile. In 1922 L' Aile II was first beaten by Bora in Le Havre, but with perseverance Hériot soon won race after race. In 1928, she won the gold medal at the Amsterdam Olympic Games
Sailing at the 1928 Summer Olympics
Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program....
aboard Aile VI, as well as the "Cup of Italy" against Holland, Italy, England, the United States, Sweden, Norway and Argentina. In 1929, she lifted the "Coupe of France" from the English and won "His Majesty Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
Copa del Rey". In 1931, she won the Ryde-Le Havre-Ryde race with a lead of 9 minutes and 40 seconds on the three-masted schooner Sonia.
Following these victories, Hériot was awarded the Knighthood of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
. Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
made visits with his family on her schooner Ailée II and awarded her the Spanish Naval Merit in 1930. The poet Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
called her "Madame de la Mer".
Hériot promoted French yachting and French shipyard engineering throughout the world. According to Georges Leygues
Georges Leygues
Georges Leygues was a French politician of the Third Republic. During his time as Minister of Marine he worked with the navy's chief of staff Henri Salaun in unsuccessful attempts to gain naval re-armament priority for government funding over army rearmament such as the Maginot Line.He was born...
, she had become a true "ambassadress of the French Navy". She was also devoted to philanthropic works, supported clubs such as the Yacht Club de France
Yacht Club de France
The Yacht Club de France is one of the most important yacht clubs in France. It was established in 1867, during the Second French Empire. This club was bestowed Royal Patronage by HRH Emperor Napoleon III and its first president was Admiral Rigault de Genouilly.In 1891, a new club was founded, the...
which was chaired by Jean-Baptiste Charcot at the time, and offered Brest one-designs to the pupils of the École Navale
École Navale
The École Navale is the French Naval Academy in charge of the education of the officers of the French Navy.The academy was founded in 1830 by the order of King Louis-Philippe...
. She published poems, as well as a "Harbour atlas" with her own drawings.
In early 1932, she was seriously injured in a storm between Venice and Greece, but refused to retire from the competition. At the end of August, during the Arcachon
Arcachon
Arcachon is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.It is a popular bathing location on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux in the Landes forest...
regattas, she lost consciousness aboard Aile VII, but started nevertheless. Struck by a syncope as she crossed the finishing line, she later died on August 28, 1932, aboard Ailée II. Her funeral was held on September 2 in Paris in the Saint Clotilde Basilica. Her mother, unable to order Virginie's body to be cast off the Breton coasts as per her dying wishes, had her buried in the family vault in La Boissière-École
La Boissière-École
La Boissière-École is a commune in the Yvelines department in north-central France.-Géography:The village is located in the Southern West of Yvelines.The most part of the landscape is constituted of forest.The place is separated in two...
instead. In 1948, her son honoured Virginie's wishes, and her body was finally cast to the sea.
Coupe Virginie Hériot
In memory of Hériot and in accordance with her often expressed wish to encourage yachting, the Committee of the Yacht Club de FranceYacht Club de France
The Yacht Club de France is one of the most important yacht clubs in France. It was established in 1867, during the Second French Empire. This club was bestowed Royal Patronage by HRH Emperor Napoleon III and its first president was Admiral Rigault de Genouilly.In 1891, a new club was founded, the...
decided at a meeting on 21 May 1946 to initiate an International Cup and name it the "Coupe Virginie Hériot". The Cup is assigned to the International Dragon Class
Dragon (keelboat)
thumbThe International Dragon is a one-design keelboat.The Dragon was designed by Norwegian Johan Anker in 1929. In 1948 the Dragon became an Olympic Class, a status it retained until the Munich Olympics in 1972...
, but remains the property of the Yacht Club de France.
In agreement with the Committee of the International Dragon Association the "Coupe Virginie Hériot" is the main trophy of the European Dragon Championship. The event is now held annually.
Prizes awarded
1924 : Aile III - Copa del Rey SM Alphonse XIII1925 : Aile IV - Coupe Rylard , Coupe de la Méditerranée, Coupe Cumberland, France Champion
1925 : Aile V - Coupe de Copenhague, Coupe Porte, Coupe des Etrangers
1927 : Petite Aile II - Coupe du Cercle de la Voile de Paris, « One Ton Cup
One Ton Cup
The One Ton Cup is a sailing trophy open to yachts that displace approximately one ton . It has been raced since 1899 and was awarded by Cercle de la Voile de Paris.From 1999 the Cup will be given to the Corel 45 Class World Championship....
»
1928 : Aile VI – World Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist, Coupe d'Italie, Coupe Rylard
1928 : Petite Aile II - Prix d'Honneur, Coupe Clerc-RampaI, Prix d'Honneur, Meilleur Classement, Copa del Rey Spain
1929 : Aile VI - Coupe de France, Coupe d'Or de SM Alphonse XIII
1930 : Aile VI - Coupe Macomber, Coupe Thalassa
Books
L'Aile IQuart de Nuit
À bord du Finlandia
La Seconde France (Impressions sur les fêtes du Centenaire), 1931
Sur mer : impression et souvenirs, 1933
Le Vaisseau Ailée, le bateau qui a des ailes, 1931
Ailée s'en va, 1923–1927
Service à la mer, 1932
Poems
Goélette ailée, poèmes, 1927Le Bateau de mon enfance, poèmes, 1928
Une âme à la mer, 1931, couronné par l'Académie française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...