The adventures of the Belem, the historic French sailing ship bringing the Olympic flame to France

FRANCE 24 English

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00:00 It's a three-masted ship which has sailed the oceans for well over a century.

00:05 The flagship of the French Navy, the Bel-Em is a marvel for young and old alike.

00:11 22 sails, a majestic wooden deck and a steel hull which has had to be restored at great expense

00:21 because at almost 130 years old, the Bel-Em is first and foremost a survivor.

00:28 The Bel-Em was built in 1896, the same year as the first Olympic Games, so it's a return to the past.

00:36 The ship has survived two world wars while other similar boats were bombed.

00:44 She also survived the advent of steamboats which from the 20th century onwards proved

00:50 a much more efficient, much more reliable mode of transport.

00:55 Since its maiden voyage, the Bel-Em has lived several lives.

00:59 At the beginning of the 20th century, it was used to transport cocoa between Brazil and France.

01:05 But by the 1970s it had fallen into disrepair, laying derelict on a Venetian riverbank.

01:11 That was until French enthusiasts bought it and created the Bel-Em Foundation.

01:17 Renovated and listed as a historical monument, it is now a tourist attraction.

01:23 In Nantes, its home port, people are delighted with its Olympic mission.

01:27 We are very proud that a boat from Nantes has been chosen.

01:31 The most beautiful dream is the dream of travel,

01:36 the desire to discover the world and that's what the Bel-Em is all about.

01:41 The boat will cross the Mediterranean between Athens and Marseille

01:46 in order to hand-deliver the Olympic flame.

01:49 Once that mission has been completed, the Bel-Em will continue its journey along the French coast.

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