PORTRAIT
Raphaëla le Gouvello is 45 years old, a qualified veterinarian specialized in aquaculture (fish farming) and managing director of a company in Pénestin, Morbihan, and has always had several irons in the fire: first her studies, then her profession and her passion for windsurfing. She discovered windsurfing with her family in 1976 and has been an adept ever since: her first competitions date back to 1977 and she began teaching the sport to beginners in 1978. In 1982 she was the only woman participant in the 24 hour International Event at La Baule where she completed the event with 17 other participants out of 36 competitors.
The call of the open sea was immediate for her and the idea of crossing the Atlantic became more and more important. In 2000 she took 58 days to complete the challenge which she had taken so much time to think about and prepare for.
BOOKS
Raphaëla has already written two books published by Glénat:
VENT DEBOUT published in 2001: an original three-voice recital, that of Raphaëla alone at sea and those of Guy Saillard and Hélène André, two friends on land who in some way also made their own crossing!
AU COEUR DU PACIFIQUE published in 2004: an account of the Pacific crossing with photos and charts, Raphaëla’s original texts, quotations, technical and scientific explanations. This is a timeless work to dip into and reread and remains completely relevant to her future crossing.
INTERVIEW
To cross the Indian Ocean on a sailboard appears more difficult than all the other crossing undertaken so far. Do you agree?
Yes, I’m convinced that this crossing will be the most difficult from the point of view of sailing. Since we started studying the weather system and maritime conditions of the Indian Ocean I have the impression that I am seeing the unpredictable, sometimes violent conditions of our Mediterranean sea on an ocean scale. So I expect to be shaken up.
What is a typical day at sea like for a windsurfer?
It’s hard work. My days are very organized. During daytime I have to do a maximum number of hours of sailing with the boom. At night it is more a question of controlled drifting, but which can sometimes lead me in the wrong direction. Added to that is the fact that on the Indian Ocean I’ll have to go as fast as possible. I’ll have to take advantage of every favorable weather window while managing the risk factor, especially risks caused by fatigue. Everything is carefully timed and precisely planned.
First thing after getting up is navigation and telephone session time. Preparations have to be made and the right sail rigged – roughly one hour’s work. During the day I alternate between sailing periods of 1h30 and 2h and breaks of 15 minutes on average to stretch and have something to eat. In the evening the sail has to be unrigged and then I prepare for the night, check on the radio telephone contact with racing headquarters, read a little, listen to some music and finally go to sleep. I usually sleep 6 to 7 hours a night but I wake up spontaneously several times during the night to check on the horizon.
More than 18 months’ intensive preparation for this new project. Which feelings are uppermost in your mind?
The serenity of mind and concentration which I’ve gained during this long preparation, the desire to leave and huge determination. And as the departure date approaches, I feel certain that, now is the time to start this crossing of the Indian Ocean along with the feeling that I’m taking with me many people, children and adults, all of whom I’ll be thinking of when the going gets tough.
