The Gatteville lighthouse signals the Raz Blanchard responsible for a shipwreck that has since remained in the memories of sailors. King Henry I of England embarked at Barfleur in 1119. He was offered a second ship, the Blanche-Nef, to accommodate his two sons, William and Richard, and their entire retinue (300 people in total). To cut short and reach the royal ship as quickly as possible, the Blanche-Nef crossed the Raz Blanchard and ripped itself open on the reefs. The heir to the throne, his brother, 140 high barons, and eighteen high-born ladies, among others, disappeared.