OCEAN WANDERER.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 305, 24 December 1926, Page 13

OCEAN WANDERER.

GERBAULT ARRIVES AT SUVA. BOUND THE WORLD VOYAGE. ADVENTURER AND TENNIS CHAMPION. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SUVA, December 16. "Gaily the troubadour sails the ocean blue," is a fitting definition of the gay French adventurous and gallant sailor, Captain Gerbault, who, in his little 10----ton cutter yacht Firecrest, is sailing around the world in a venture of derring do. He has eufl'ered like St. Paul from tempest, oft been wrecked on the ugly reefs of Wallis Island, drove through two ruthless hurricances in the broad Atlantic and yet says he has made the sea his home, sold out his property in France so that he can give hie whole soul to his love. Hie only home he says is his boat, and with the tricolour for his flag he desires no more than plenty of adventure and as much interesting novelty as he can cram into a limited space of time. It was this love of danger that resulted in his vessel being wrecked, as he was warned not to go near Wallis ac the currente are treacherous, but he went and the squall struck his boat and drove it on to the reef, which damaged his craft and tore off the four-ton lead keel. However he was undaunted and induced a number of the natives to drag the keel ashore and then the engineers of the llalinoa came to his aid and made him a bolt or two. In the meantime he had wirelessed that some ship wireless hie financial agent in Paris to solicit the Navy to try to send a warship to his aid, and wonderful to relate this was actually accomplished, and the Cassiopee came to Wallis, deviating from her voyage to Noumea and supplied him with the needed bronze bolts, and he put on the keel, and after a stay of four months he sailed for Suva, making the trip in five days. His yacht is leaking a bit co he is going to put her on the slip, and then wishes to get away to New Hebrides ac soon as he can, owing to the hurricane season. He is intensely fond of the sea. Questioned as to whether he felt lonely he said he never did. He does not even smoke, and is not keen on fishing, but likes the sport of shooting fish or harpooning them. The Firecrest was built in 1892 and sailed from Cannes in April, 1893. Going by Gibraltar he spent 101 days crossing the Atlantic, including 94 days during which he never saw land. Coming across from Panama he touched Galpaos, Gambier, Marquesas, Tuamotu, Tahiti, Borabora, Pago Pago, Apia and Wallis. After this voyage he is returning to France and having a more modern vessel built in which he is going to explore the whole Pacific. He is a friend of Ralph Stock, whom he saw last in New York. He was a friend of I the late Lientenant Mulhausen of the Amarylis. He met Norman Brookes in London and holds a warm invitation to spend a time with him in Melbourne, and played tennis in France with Colonel Golding (Inspector-General of Constabulary here). He says that Madame Golding is the next best tennis player in France to Suzanne. Madame won the covered courts championship in France.' Gorbault is recognised as one of the first rank of French lawn tennis players. He reckons that La Coste and Cochet (who defeated Tilden) are the two best champions in France. He proposed to sail from here to the New Hebrides, thence to New Guinea, through the Torres Straits and to South Africa and home. He hopes to visit Australia next voyage.