Eric De Bisschop

Born in 1891,Eric De Bisschop was a Frenchman and after serving as a flyer WW1  travelled to China in 1927 and built a Chinese junk that he and a companion sailed around the pacific. After losing her in a typhoon they build another junk and di scientific research in the Marshall islands. Wrecked in a storm they went to Honululu and in 1936 built Kaimiloa sailing her to Cape Town and on to France arriving at Cannes in 1938. He and hi wife built a trimaran called Kaimiloa-Wakea and sailed in 1940 for the Pacific. The voyage ended prematurely in Las Palmas when the boat was wrecked in a collision. Appointed by the French Government as Consular Agent for Honolulu they travelled back to his beloved South Pacific. Denounced for political reasons he lost his diplomatic status and was after the war disgraced for his relationship with Petain. In 1956 eric set off to disprove Heyerdahl by sailing a raft from Tahiti to Chili. A second raft was built to sail back and was wrecked in the Cook Islands and Eric sadly died on August 30 1958. Sadly his achievements with his multihulls and the amazing voyage to France which should have proved to all that a catamaran was a seaworthy ocean going concept are only recognised today.