A super bloke Yves. He came from Lille, not to far away the other side of the channel and would jump on the ferry every Friday night to come across and race.
He was works driver at Royale in 1977, Trevor van Rooyen also running his RP24 out of the factory that season but Trevor did all preperation and engine himself. Yves' cream and brown RP24 was tended by Paul Thompson who became Kenny Acheson's mechanic on the works FF RMC Royale in '78 then went with Kenny when he set up his own F3 team. Paul went to the Jordan F3000 team and eventually F1 with them.
Royale designer Rory Byrne, wonder what happened to him?
would try out
all types of trick front suspension on Yves car that year. It was like a racing test-bed.
I did not see or hear of Yves again after the '77 season. But as you say, very quick, aggressive and should have gone further. I remember him as a really lovely guy.