'Corsaire'

(Note - to see a larger image, click on the photo)

The Heller model company's ‘Corsair’ is of a type of vessel in use in the Mediterranean Sea called a ‘tartane’, or ‘tartana’.  A tartane typically had one mast with a large Lateen sail mounted on a long yard at an angle to the main mast. Tartanes were small coastal commercial vessels of about 70 tons used for carrying cargo. This is a model of a tartane that was employed as a privateering vessel by France around 1800.

Contemporary drawing of a 'tartane'

From Heller’s instruction sheet - tartanes, when used by privateers ...“were small, quick, discreet and easy to manoeuvre...they stood a better chance of going un-noticed when commandeering other vessels, carrying out reconnaissance missions, or delivering messages.  ....the hull had no real finesse, revealing its origin as a cargo vessel, but its stern overhanging deck, and its prow, with well crafted naval ram, refined its outline.... this type of vessel all but disappeared toward the middle of the 19th century.”

Characteristics (from Heller instruction sheet)-

Hull length - 24.40 m
Overall length - 33.00 m
Width at the main beam - 6.70 m
Draft at the bow - 2.76 m
Draft at the stern - 3.30 m
Average tonnage - 50 to 70 tonnes

‘Corsairs’ were privateers authorized to raid other countries ships at war with France - the profits were shared between the French government and the ship’s captain.  Because they were authorized by the government, they were considered as legitimate combatants.  They were issued a ‘lettre de marque’ or ‘lettre de course’.  They were expected to conduct themselves according to contemporary admiralty law, and if captured were expected to be treated as prisoners of war, not as pirates.


There are several theories of the origin of the term ‘corsair’ - one being that from the term ‘lettre de corse’ , corsair came to be used as the name for privateers.  There are other theories too - one that it was derived from the Arabic word ‘qarsan’ for ‘pirate’


Privateering was very profitable, as well as disrupting and weakening France’s enemies.     Between the years 1793 to 1800, Lloyd’s of London collected data on shipping losses and it demonstrated British shipping losses to privateers were far greater than losses to the sea - net losses were 3,639 to 2,967.

1/150 Le Corsaire model  (a tartane)

As noted above, this model of the tartane ‘Corsair’ is of one of around 1800.   In addition to the Lateen sail of the main mast, the ‘polacca’ (a fore sail tacked to the bowsprit), a square topsail was added above the main sail. There are less than handful of tartanes in the world today, one being ‘La Flaneuse’ based in the port of Prado in Marseille, France.

La Flaneuse 

More images of 'tartanes'