Florence Arthaud
It's a name most people are unaware. But as the adjectives "one of the best sailors in the world, the woman who made history in a matter of days," go on, any reader will be curious to know who Florence Arthaud is. Florence's own words, "I can not be happy until I get to the sea," are perfect to describe her life. She is the epitome of determination and confidence that has entered and set a record in a patriarchal world of navy.
Success is not an easy path, it is a long journey. Florence's story is a story of success through many trials and tribulations. Florence was born on October 28, 1987 as the daughter of publisher Jacques Arthaud. The family that was very close to adventure and sports. Life with her father, who published adventure stories, and her brothers, who went swimming, rowing and adventurous, made Florence an admirer of speed.
From a very young age, Florence had a passion for boats and sailing, but at the age of seventeen she fell into a serious car accident and fell into a coma. Florence has long been plagued by fractures of the skull, paralysis and spinal cord injuries. But that did not deter the girl. At the age of twenty-one, she competed in her first Trans-Atlantic Race, saying, "Only the sea can give me the freedom, adventure and solitude I want." By travelling 5800 km alone and cross the Atlantic Ocean, Florence was able to finish 11th out of 40 on that trip in her own boat, which was not suitable for such a big competition.
That was just a beginning. For the next ten years, Florence continued to compete. The legendary Philip Paupon, Mike Birch and Eric Barley became friends with this rising star. But she had gone through a severe financial crisis over those years. She went to many places to find money to build a good boat.
When Christian Garrell, chairman of the Pierre Ier, signed an agreement with Florence in 1988 it became a turning point in her life. They built a boat with the latest technology for her. The boat was equipped with facilities like satellite-assisted GPS and radar operations, device of wind and boat's speed and angle measurement, and a Macintosh computer to show the sea map and the location of the boat on it.
1990 was the golden year of the life of Florence Arthaud. She broke the solo Atlantic world record by crossing the Atlantic Ocean alone in a boat in 9 days, 21 hours and 42 minutes. That story of determination did not end there. Within three months, she had won the world-famous solo trans-Atlantic competition, Route Du Rhum. Florence still holds the reputation of being the only woman to win an international naval race. Health problems befell her soon after the world record was set. Injuries to the spine hampered training and travelling. But she overcame that and took part in the Route Du Rhum race.
Within the first hours of the game, 4 contestants left the race, unable to cope with the fast-moving winds. She had oly soup and pasta as food. She had to wake up every half hour during sleep to watch the boat's control in the wind. Florence spent 14 days and 10 hours and 10 minutes aboard the Trimaran ‘Pierre 1’, battling the sea and wind and swelled with loneliness and illness. This persistence made the 34 - year - old woman, a model of extraordinary strength and confidence in front of all those who loved the sea.
When the competition started on November 4, 1990, Florence was not bothered by the fact that she had the best competitors against her. By November 7, Florence had reached 1609 km after facing many obstacles one after the other with complete restraint. Many of the boat's technologies were damaged. She was unable to communicate with the outside world, see sea maps or calculate directions.
She proceeded on the journey in the light of her own experiences and logic. But the boat's fuel leak significantly affected the voyage. Meanwhile, Florence, who was ill for days, finally handed the ship over to the direction of the wind and slept well for three hours. Florence describes that night as "I was alone with God."
When other competitors were unable to move forward in the anticyclone, Florence, who had longed for success and worked tirelessly for it, arrived in Guadeloupe on the 18th of November, the fifteenth day. Tens of thousands of people greeted her as she hit the boat on the shore with dry lips and sunken eyes. She was greeted by family and friends with applause and fireworks.
In addition to being the first woman to win the Route Du Rhum race, she set a new record time of 14 days, 10 hours, 10 minutes. From then, Florence came to known as the "Little Fiancé of the Atlantic". She bcame an inspiration to the next generation of sailors, including Isabel Otisier and Catherine Chaboud. Florence lived a life of her self-expression, "Sailing is in my blood."
"Life is a gift. You must live it to the fullest and always believe in your destiny." When Florence Arthaud, who lived his life with complete freedom, joy, and confidence, says this, we would think about life. By living a beautiful life, she reminds us that life has meaning and it is worth living.
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