Félix Mérine grew up close to the water, in a house facing the sea. Even as a child, the yole (boat) was part of his daily life, without imagining that this traditional craft would become his lifelong companion. But it was much later, after the storms of life, that Félix Mérine came to understand the power of this craft. The yole didn’t just teach him how to sail, it gave him a path, a course, a reason to act. Today, this helmsman-turned-entrepreneur is dedicated to passing on what the sea has given him.
A child of the sea, forged by the waves
Félix Mérine grew up a stone’s throw from the sea, in Robert, in a house where water was part of everyday life. At a very young age, he discovered the world of the yole alongside his uncles. He didn’t immediately climb aboard – at first, he observed, learned and listened. He built small yoles on the street, helped wash the sails, and unknowingly took part in the life of the yole. This is where it all begins: in the repeated gestures, the exchanged glances, the silent respect for elders.
Adrift but not lost
At 16, Félix Mérine left school. “I didn’t listen to my mother,” he says bluntly. He entered a troubled period. Military service in Lyon had a profound effect on him. Discipline, respect, responsibility: he discovered strict rules that he applied without question.
8,000 kilometers away, his mother’s advice finally made sense.
On his return, his uncles took him back on a yole. This time, he took to it for good.
Yole as a discipline, sport as a springboard
In 1987, he founded his association and imposed strict rules: regular training, zero alcohol, team spirit and respect for each other. It took time, but the results followed. The Yole became more than a sport: it became a school.
” The Yole saved my life,” says Félix Mérine.
What he learns on the water, he applies to his business. Today, he runs a transport company active in the Caribbean, with over 60 employees. What was passed on to him, he in turn passes on. “What my elders passed on to me, I have a duty to pass on in my turn,” he says.
Passing on to build tomorrow
Now retired from competitions, Félix Mérine devotes his time to passing on his skills. He supervises young people at risk, shares his experience and is in charge of a rehabilitation project through the Yole for prison inmates. For him, every effort counts, and can change everything. “Nothing is lost,” he says gravely, “even when everything seems to be.” What he has received from his elders has been decisive, and he knows that a well-supported young person can also find his way.
Félix Mérine’s story is that of a man who found in the sea a framework, a meaning, a strength. Today, he acts so that others can, in turn, move forward. Because sometimes, all it takes is a reference point, a listening ear, or a boat – to get things moving again.
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