Florence Arthaud, the "small Atlantic bride" takes off forever

Florence Arthaud almost died in car in her teens, she almost lost at sea at least once in the Mediterranean but it's a helicopter crash in the Argentine mountain that finally swept away ... France mourns his eternal "small Atlantic bride ", even though it was 57 years and the sailing world loses one of the world's greatest sailors. She was particularly imposed in this world of diehard sailors in 1990 by winning the Route du Rhum, the famous solo transatlantic race between Saint-Malo, in Brittany, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe.

Daughter of Jacques Arthaud, the director of the publishing house of the same name, the sailor had to make a name. Fledgling fallen into the pot "magic potion", the ocean, practicing sailing with his father and brother precisely, Florence Arthaud has chosen to tackle the most ambitious races after his 18 and Counting the Atlantic crossing. A year earlier, a serious car accident, coma and prolonged hospitalization, had made him think that he had to live fully and enjoy every moment.

His "transcendence" begins and it will not stop anytime soon. In 1978, the first edition of the Route du Rhum, it enters the fray, challenging the best sailors of the moment. And she is not doing so badly, earning 11th place at the finish. Shortly after 1990 will be great year SA. In August, Florence Arthaud beats the record of the North Atlantic crossing alone, held by some Bruno Peyron. By closing the race in 9 days, 21 hours and 42 minutes, it "scrapes" still two days in their browser comrade. In its tracks in November following, she wins outright the Route du Rhum, the Transat loungers. For this brilliant victory, the newspaper L'Equipe's coronation to a "Champion French champions."

But like everyone else, "Little Bride of the Atlantic" also needs to find happiness elsewhere than in his professional life. At 36, she gave birth to her daughter, Mary. Then at age 48, she married but the union ended in failure. In his autobiography "A wind of freedom" recently published in 2009, Florence Arthaud admits she has spent very difficult times in his private life, sinking into alcohol, she had never sunk in the middle of the ocean crossed ...