L’introduction des Nouveaux dériveurs en France dans les années 1990 : construction et évolution des images et des représentations d’une pratique nautique

Abstract

In 1991, the Nouveaux dériveurs (New Dinghies, nowadays named skiffs), or ND, appeared in France. These boats (used in Australia or the United States) are very different from the ‘classics’ used in sailing competitions by the federations. To attract French customers who showed little interest in this type of boat, dealers and builders, aided by the nautical press, developed an image of a show craft and a fun boat, of a hyper-technological machine which could finally join the family of racing yachts. A semiotic analysis of the content of journals was conducted to show the representations conveyed by this new type of boat in France. Over the years, several models have been developed, but the arguments against them are relatively identical. The boat has evolved through commercial interests, through trial and error, mirroring the changes undergone in windsurfing and catamaran and the way the latter are portrayed in the media. Since 2000, the status of the ND has stabilized with its recognition as an Olympic event.