In 2000, Raphaëla le Gouvello became the first woman to cross the Atlantic ocean on a sailboard, and she did it alone. She sailed from Saly in Senegal to the Diamant on the island of Martinique. It was a teenager’s dream come true.
She left the African coastline on Feb. 25, 2000, but met with difficulties in the first days because of an abnormal lack of wind that contributed to lengthen the duration and distance of her crossing. Consequently, she had to be re-supplied in food on the last third on her journey, and reached Martinique on April 24, 2000 (see attached map - CLS Argos).

The Atlantic crossing of Raphaëla in a few figures :
- Over 2750 nautical miles, e.g. over 5 000 km,
- 58 days, 11 hours and 10 minutes alone on the Atlantic ocean,
- 361 hours of navigation.

The media coverage of the Atlantic crossing:
• More than 40 TV broadcastings,
• More than 25 radio interviews (besides partnership with one radio),
• More than 80 publications in national French press,
• More than 120 publications in regional French press,
• More than 10 publications in the international press.

A 26-minute documentary film called “ 58 days, 10 hours, 11 minutes and 26 seconds ”) edited by Agathe de Laboulaye and Romain Mériaux-Delbarre from over 6 hours of video footage filmed by Raphaëla, produced by Vic production (Jérôme Palteau) and Romain Mériaux-Delbarre. The film was presented at the festival of adventure films in Dijon, in October 2000.
A book co-written by Raphaëla le Gouvello, Hélène André and Guy Saillard published in November 2001 by the Glénat publications and called: “ Vent debout ”.

Come and visit us at the international nautical trade show in Paris between Nov. 30 and Dec. 10, 2001, where new the sailboard set to cross the Pacific will be exhibited.