Meulan-en-Yvelines

Meulan-en-Yvelines (formerly Meulan) is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It hosted part of the sailing events for the 1900 Summer Olympics held in neighboring Paris, and would do so again twenty-four years later.

History

In 1435 as a part of the Hundred Years' War, Ambroise de Loré and Jean de Dunois defeated the English nearby.

Heraldry

The Coat of Arms of Meulan-en-Yvelines is blazoned as:

Azure semy-de-lys or, a chief chequy or and gules of four tiers.

The shield of arms is composed of the ancient arms of France, granted to the village as an augmentation of honour by Henri IV in 1590, with a chief displaying the first four tiers of the chequy or and gules arms of the ancient Counts of Meulan.

People

French National Monotype 1924

For the 1924 Olympic Monotype sailing a National Dinghy Class from France was used. Some documents refer to this class as the Meulan and in France as Monotype national. It might originate (or vice versa) as the Scheldejol a Class originated in Antwerp, Belgium and also used in The Netherlands but is a little different at certain measurements. At least more sail area, including a spinnaker and a 10 cm more beam.

Olympic history

The competitors at the 1924 Olympics held their regattas at two places:

The Olympic International Congress made on December 7, 1921 the decision that the host country would make the choice for the Monotype class. L'Union des sociétés nautiques française (USNF), chooses the French national Monotype of the naval architect Gaston Grenier, especially designed with the Olympic Games of 1924 in mind. A class which emphasizes the qualities of the sailor, whose sailrobe would include a spinnaker, and was adapted to the expected light air conditions.