Finding Gold

LAURENT FACCHIN

Sailing, Family, Porsches with a French Accent!

Member Feature by Mark Johnson

Paris, France to Plantation, Florida is a vast distance, roughly 4,570 miles, give or take. Laurent Facchin and his high school sweetheart, Amelie, made that trip. They married in 2007 in France, and shortly after they immigrated to the United States. Amelia’s brother was based in south Florida, and they arrived in the Ft. Lauderdale area. It was a substantial change for each of them, and that’s probably an understatement.

Amelie and Laurent have now been married for 15 years. They have made a home and a life together in Florida and enjoyed their love affair for over 24 years. In 2014 the family doubled in size with the addition of their twins, Lucas, and Julia. Today the family totals six, as they also enjoy their pups, Hermes and Paco, who are both big, strong furry (canine) companions.

Anyone visiting the Facchins in their home may not be initially certain about who rules the roost. Hermes, a beautiful 11-year-old Presa Canario of about 125 pounds, welcomes everyone at the door and gives visitors an initial once-over approval. Paco will then greet everyone and provide a second, somewhat more thorough examination. Paco is a beautiful American Pit Bull. He is incredibly strong and without an ounce of fat. At more or less 50 pounds of solid muscle, petting him would be similar to embracing a fire hydrant.

It is only after this meet and greet and sniff of approval, that Lucas, Julia, and Amelie warmly welcome everyone. Laurent of big sholders and fast cars

On a recent visit they were stationed behind the pups all along with smiles, waiting patiently to say hello after the requisite family formalities. Laurent is also there, an imposing figure to truly survey the situation. Yep, he’s the boss.

It’s all in great fun of course, as we visit on a spur of the moment invitation to enjoy a bit of French cuisine whipped together by the master of the manor. A “thrown together” meal of pork tenderloin, baked new potatoes, a light salad, wine (mandatory) and a baked apple upside down with whipped cream for dessert. As Laurent prepares the meal, Amelie places the table settings. It’s a typical American home with one exception. The baked apple upside down is mixed without cinnamon spice, a virtual staple in American apple pies. However, cinnamon is NOT used in France and will NOT be found in this American home.

Guests have brought their children, roughly the same age as Lucas and Julia so they and the pups do exactly what is expected. Kids and dogs play. The adult guests are treated to a pre meal selection of incredible rum that Laurent has collected over the past several years. Laurent is bit of a sailor, so the rum fits.

Laurent Facchin is the general manager at a company serving the sailing catamaran industry and customers. This company, JUST CATAMARANS, is a first-stop shop that provides installation of tons of electronics gear and sailing systems to fully prep a brand-new catamaran for sea, whether for cruising, sailing, or charter.

The Just Catamaran yard is frantic. They service between 50 and 100 boats a year, each with $25,000 to $100,000+ in new electronics and systems to be installed prior to first use. Boat show season is huge to the company’s success, and Laurent is off to Annapolis in the fall for the US Sailboat Show. He also has display space and in-the-water “cats” that showcase their work at the Ft. Lauderdale and Miami shows and elsewhere. It a big job, a big company, and requires big shoulders.

Laurent’s first job in France was as a pastry chef at a croissant bakery. It seems that cooking, baking, and food come naturally--imagine that! He also worked at the LIDO, the world-famous cabaret in Paris as a gentleman encouraging patrons to behave; we formerly called them bouncers. He held additional positions of bartender and headwaiter.

Following that experience, Laurent joined Bank Restaurant in London, England. There he had the pleasure of serving folks like the Rolling Stones, the Spice Girls, and Robin Williams, among many others. The big shoulders and visual presence offered Laurent several unique opportunities. These opportunities have created a very full life and a tremendous number of great stories (many we can’t share), but fun and interesting none-the-less.

Big shoulders contributed to his athletic skills as a rugby player. He ascended to an elite level of play. He was asked to join the French National Rugby team under 17, Les Bleus. At this level, you have to be very good.

Playing for the national team is equivalent to playing in the NFL, professional grade. To this day he follows the Rugby World Cup. It is scheduled to be played in France during 2023 (an event contested every four years). If anyone has a source for Rugby WC tickets, let Laurent know, he would love to get back to Paris for a match or two as well as visit his family. Unfortunately, his mom passed about 8 years ago but many relatives and friends remain at his native home in France.

So, that’s sailing and family. What about the Porsche connection?

The Facchins enjoy three PCars in a very diverse collection. The first is a 2006 Midnight Blue 997 Cabrio base that was acquired in November 2020. This car has recently completed several major upgrades which include Ohlin adjustable street/ race shocks, a full rehab of the vehicle suspension and bushings, etc., upgraded headers, X-pipe, exhaust, pedal commander, and an Apple Car Play radio. This 997 is a fast, stylish, and an incredible beast of a cabriolet.

The second is a 1987 944 Turbo in Burgundy, with a camel interior. This car is also fast. Perhaps it is the guy behind the wheel? Nah. Hey, it’s a Turbo! It was acquired in October 2021. This 944 has oversized rims, some engine mods, but the specifics are unknown as the previous owner did not share this information or did not know himself. Once acquired by Laurent, the car was color-corrected and ceramic coated. Eventually, the 944 will receive an interior rehab to showcase a complete package. It is already a “looker.”

The third is more of a family motoring Porsche, if there is such a thing. It is a 2015 Cayenne diesel, Midnight Blue, and was added to the Facchin stable in October 2021, shortly after the 944 arrived. There are no serious mods on the Cayenne, but the vehicle was upgraded with 20” rims from a turbo model. He is planning on a Kerma TDI tune for the diesel.

The family has another vehicle, which Amelie drives daily, but it’s a work/ grocery-getting sedan, a VW Golf TDI. It’s nice, not a Porsche, but at least it is in the family, so to speak.

The Facchin family collection