fig1 shows diagrammatically a tower 10 including a rigid riser pipe 12 fixed to a seabed 14 by means of an anchor system 16 . moreover , the rigid pipe 12 includes an upper part 18 , suspended from a float 20 , or a buoy , in which is trapped a sufficient quantity of air to maintain the rigid pipe in a vertical position . the float 20 is situated in an area between the seabed 14 and a surface 22 , and to be more precise , toward the surface 22 . this area is nevertheless chosen at a distance from the surface 22 so as to be less dependent on surface movements . fig1 also shows a laying ship 24 sailing on the surface 22 in line with the tower 10 . a flexible pipe 26 is suspended from the laying ship 24 by means of a cable 28 . the flexible pipe 26 includes a connector 30 to which the cable 28 is connected . the flexible pipe 26 is therefore supported by the laying ship 24 in the vicinity of the upper part 18 of the rigid pipe 12 in order to be connected thereto as explained hereinafter . to this end , the upper part 18 of the rigid pipe 12 includes a turret 32 described with reference to fig2 . fig2 shows partially the float 20 and the rigid pipe 12 connected together by way of the turret 32 . also shown is the flexible pipe 26 suspended from the cable 28 by means of the connector 30 . the latter includes a sleeve 34 on the upstream side of a connecting free end 36 . the sleeve 34 includes two diametrically opposite and projecting journals 38 while the connector 30 includes an attachment member 39 forming a shoulder and that extends around the connecting free end 36 . the turret 32 has a lower end 40 opposite an upper end 42 . the lower end 40 is connected to the rigid pipe 12 while the upper end 42 is attached to the float 20 . the turret 32 includes a hollow longitudinal cylindrical part 44 and a conical part 46 at the lower end 40 and a flange 48 at the upper end 42 . moreover , the turret 32 includes a deformable swan - neck pipe 50 extending from the lower end 40 of the turret 32 . it will be noted that the deformable pipe 50 is made from a rigid metal , for example steel . in accordance with another embodiment , a deformable pipe is used made from a conventional flexible pipe of bonded or other construction . fig3 is also referred to in order to describe the arrangement of the deformable pipe 50 through the turret 32 . fig3 shows part of the turret 32 and in its conical part 46 an axial portion 52 of a deformable pipe 50 . also shown is the rigid pipe 12 and the turret 32 is connected to its end at the level of the tip of the conical part 46 . the axial portion 52 of the deformable pipe 50 is therefore in line with the rigid pipe 12 . the cylindrical part 44 includes a lower oblong opening 54 that extends along a generatrix and through which a first radial portion 56 of the deformable pipe 50 extends . the first radial portion 56 extends from the axial portion 52 , which is curved at the level of the lower oblong opening 54 so as to extend out of the turret 32 . as shown in fig2 , the first radial portion 56 is curved with an opposite curvature toward the upper end 42 and in an axial plane of the turret 32 . the deformable pipe 50 then has a transverse portion 58 passing completely through the cylindrical part 44 via two opposite upper oblong openings 60 , 62 . one of the upper oblong openings 60 extends along the same generatrix as the lower oblong opening 54 . the deformable pipe 50 includes a second radial portion 64 curved toward the lower end 40 and extending from the transverse portion 58 in the direction away from the first radial portion 56 . the second radial portion 64 has a free end 66 provided with an end fitting 68 . moreover , opposite the lower oblong opening 54 , near the lower end 40 of the turret 32 , are two parallel v - shaped arms 70 , 72 . the two v - shaped arms 70 , 72 are retained by two respective parallel uprights 74 , 76 that extend toward the upper end 42 at the level of the other upper oblong opening 62 . the two v - shaped arms 70 , 72 have a respective first part 78 , 80 that extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the turret 32 and an inclined second part 82 , 84 that extends freely away from the lower end 40 . the two v - shaped arms 70 , 72 therefore have a respective joint 86 , 88 at the level of which the uprights 74 , 76 are connected . as a result , the uprights 74 , 76 and the v - shaped arms 70 , 72 in two parts respectively form at the level of the joints 86 , 88 u - shaped spaces forming spaced bearing surfaces . in accordance with another embodiment that is not shown , the turret is constituted of a longitudinal frame including two parallel uprights and an upper crossmember opposite a lower crossmember . moreover , the frame includes pairs of intermediate crossmembers situated between the opposite upper and lower crossmembers . also , the two v - shaped arms 70 , 72 and the corresponding uprights 74 , 76 are respectively installed on two superposed intermediate crossmembers of the same pair . the first parts 78 , 80 of the two v - shaped arms 70 , 72 are advantageously respectively connected to the two uprights 74 , 76 to form two opposite flanges . these two flanges are then respectively fastened to two superposed intermediate crossmembers . such an arrangement makes it possible to have the bearing surfaces close to the axis of the rigid riser pipe 12 . moreover , this makes it possible to reduce the overall volume of the turret 32 and the retaining members ( 70 , 72 , 74 , 76 ). moreover , the first parts 78 , 80 of the two v - shaped arms 70 , 72 are mounted and articulated at the level of the joints 86 , 88 so that they can be retracted , notably during transportation and installation . also , thanks to the pairs of intermediate crossmembers , in accordance with another embodiment , other sets of retaining members of the aforementioned type may be installed so as to be able to connect other pipes in an analogous manner . as fig2 shows , the connector 30 is engaged between the second inclined parts 82 , 84 of the two v - shaped arms 70 , 72 by paying out the cable 28 . also , the two journals 38 installed on the sleeve 34 of the connector 30 respectively come to bear against the inclined second parts 82 , 84 . as the lowering of the connector 30 continues , the second inclined parts 82 , 84 then form a ramp and guide the journals 38 toward the joints 86 , 88 forming bearing surfaces . the connector 30 is then suspended from the two v - shaped arms 70 , 72 . it will moreover be noted that the uprights 74 , 76 are respectively equipped with two parallel plates 90 , 92 between which lie the free end 66 and the end fitting 68 . these plates 90 , 92 include a respective guide groove 94 extending substantially from said other upper oblong opening 62 toward the v - shaped arms 70 , 72 and form a lower abutment 96 also oriented toward the v - shaped arms 70 , 72 . the functions of the guide grooves 84 and the lower abutment 96 are explained hereinafter . moreover , it will be noted that the connector includes between the journals 38 and the connecting free end 36 two opposite lugs 98 , 100 while the uprights 74 , 76 are equipped with clamping devices 102 , 104 . accordingly , after the connector 30 has been suspended from the two v - shaped arms 70 , 72 , the journals 38 respectively bear in the bearing surfaces , the cable 28 is then released , whereas the flexible pipe 26 hangs down . the other end of the flexible pipe 26 , not shown , is then taken up by another cable to be raised toward the laying ship . the connector 30 is then driven to pivot anticlockwise as the flexible pipe 26 is raised . the attachment member 39 is then pressed to the rear of the lower abutments 96 of the plates 90 , 92 while the connecting free end 36 comes to face the end fitting 68 . the situation is therefore that of fig4 , with the connector 30 pivoted in this way and its attachment member 39 to the rear of the lower abutments 96 . moreover , the two lugs 98 , 100 are engaged in the clamping tools 102 , 104 so as to lock the connector 30 against the uprights 74 , 76 and bearing on the v - shaped arms 70 , 72 . its connecting free end 36 therefore then comes to face the end fitting 68 at the free end 66 of the deformable pipe 50 . as a result , the connector 30 is fastened to the turret 32 . it will be noted that until this point movements of the connector 30 relative to the turret 32 and its elements have been accompanied and limited . the risks of damage by impact or by contact have therefore been reduced . fig5 is a three - quarter view of the connector 30 installed in this way . moreover , there is seen in this figure , around the end fitting 68 , a guide support block 110 and a hydraulic cylinder 112 connecting the attachment member 39 and the guide support block 110 . the hydraulic cylinder 112 has been installed by an underwater robot that is not shown . refer now to fig6 showing in detail the guide support block 110 and the attachment member 39 . this figure shows the two opposite plates 90 , 92 respectively equipped with their guide groove 94 . the guide support block 110 is engaged between the two opposite plates 90 , 92 and is equipped on each side with two guide fingers 114 , 116 engaged in the guide grooves 94 . the guide fingers 114 , 116 are seen on only one side , while the other two are concealed and lie to the rear of the figure . moreover , the attachment member 39 is to the rear of the lower abutments 96 formed by the opposite plates 90 , 92 . moreover , the hydraulic cylinder 112 , which is seen more clearly in fig6 , includes a body 118 and a rod 120 mounted inside the body 118 . the body 118 includes a body groove 122 while the guide support block 110 includes a block notch 124 adapted to receive the body 118 of the cylinder 112 . the rod 120 includes at its end a rod groove 126 while the attachment member 39 includes an attachment notch 128 adapted to receive the end of the rod 120 . moreover , the connecting free end 36 faces the end fitting 68 substantially coaxially , which end fitting 68 has an inside diameter substantially greater than the outside diameter of the connecting free end 36 . moreover , the end fitting 68 includes sealing lips , not shown , and a spring - loaded automatic locking mechanism , for example , or a manually controlled mechanism , for locking thereto the connecting free end 36 when they are driven one into the other . the connection is therefore sealed . in this situation , and by means of an underwater robot that is not shown , the hydraulic cylinder 112 is activated so as to retract the rod 120 into the body 118 . also , the retraction of the rod 120 of the cylinder into the body 118 causes the guide support block 110 to be driven toward the attachment member 39 since the latter is immobilized against movement in translation by the lower abutments 96 and the guide support block 110 is guided in translation by means of the guide fingers 114 , 116 in the grooves 94 . fig7 shows the guide support block 110 at the end of its stroke against the attachment member 39 while the rod 120 of the cylinder is entirely retracted inside the body 118 . thanks to the aforementioned automatic locking mechanism , the connecting free end 36 is locked inside the end fitting 68 and they are therefore fastened to each other in a sealed manner . fig8 shows to a larger scale the turret 32 and the guide support 110 pressed against the attachment member 39 . it will be noted that the deformable pipe 50 has then been deformed during the movement of the guide support 110 toward the attachment member 39 . in fact , the deformable pipe 50 has been stretched freely through the two opposite upper oblong openings 60 , 62 and to a lesser degree through the lower oblong opening 54 . as a result , the connecting free end 36 and the end fitting 68 are locked exclusively by the movement of the guide support 110 and the deformable pipe 50 relative to the turret 32 . thanks to this , the connector 30 has not been subjected to any impact during connection that might have damaged it . fig9 therefore shows the rigid pipe 12 and the flexible pipe 26 connected together at the level of the float 20 by means of the turret 32 ; the other end of the flexible pipe 26 having been entirely raised onto the laying ship 24 .