Every year, Monaco Classic Week-La Belle Classe brings together owners who are united by the same conviction: to preserve and pass on a legacy of living maritime heritage. Whether they are traditional sailing yachts, vintage motor yachts or classic powerboats, every boat is treated with the same profound respect by its owner. Each one embodies the link between past and present in its own way. Jean-Yves Brun is one such owner. He is in Monaco with his classic powerboat, Rex II, and a unique story to tell that is testament to the relationship between a man and a boat that has made history.
He would rather talk about the boat than himself. “She’s the star,” he says with a smile. According to him, this exceptional runabout chose him more than he chose the boat. It was a twist of fate, a meeting that was always meant to be. A passionate enthusiast of both cars and sailing, he modestly describes himself as nothing more than a “keeper of time”, entrusted with carrying forward the story of a unique craft.
Built in 1949 by Frantz Liuzzi, the charismatic founder of a boatyard in Neuilly-sur-Seine, it was designed to embody excellence. Liuzzi, the ‘Christian Dior of boating’, built each model to order and delivered his creations with the aura of a couturier unveiling a collection. With their sleek lines, his mahogany runabouts were prized by the wealthy and speed enthusiasts alike, especially as he was also the first person to import BPM engines, designed by former Ferrari engineers, into France.
Rex II belonged to Charles Van Praet, a well-known figure from Le Havre who was both a racing driver and an aviator. He racked up records and victories at the wheel of the boat, including at the Monaco Meeting in 1956. It is said that Prince Rainier invited him to his wedding to Grace Kelly on this occasion. Van Praet triumphed again in 1957, winning the European Championships in Monaco. However, a breakdown in Cannes the following year brought the boat’s racing career to a temporary halt.
Left aside for years, Rex II was brought back to life in the 1990s by Jean-Georges Van Praet, Charles’s son, who restored it as a gift for his father. After spending several decades in a private collection, the boat resurfaced at auction and that is when Jean-Yves Brun came on the scene.
“When I first discovered this boat, I was moved by her story. Her lines, design, her past… they all spoke to me. There are no coincidences, only meetings – and this one was meant to be,” he explains. And for good reason. Rex II is a masterpiece of naval craftsmanship. Built from solid mahogany, double-planked crosswise and copper-riveted, she reflects Liuzzi’s unique approach of favouring rigidity coupled with lightness.
Beneath the deck lies the original BPM engine, a 150hp, 2.8-litre, four-cylinder engine, designed by former Ferrari engineers Botta and Puigcelli, which set new world records. As early as 1949, Rex II reached 96km/h and soon broke the symbolic 100km/h barrier. The rainbow on her stern is not just for show, but commemorates this world speed championship title.
Rex II is currently being gradually restored in a shipyard in Bourgogne. Jean-Yves Brun has developed a relationship with the boat, based on respect and mutual discovery. “I’m getting to know her, learning how to pilot her. We are discovering each other,” he says quietly.
Presented at the 17th Monaco Classic Week this year, Rex II embodies the delicate balance between living maritime heritage and contemporary passion. Her owner insists: “I am just a custodian. What matters is that the boat continues to live, to sail and to carry people.” Through Rex II, Jean-Yves Brun encapsulates the spirit of Monaco Classic Week and Yacht Club de Monaco’s mission to safeguard and transmit classic yachting’s heritage, both on and off the water.
