Raphaëla le Gouvello – DoctorsTalents

Raphaëla le Gouvello (born May 4, 1960 in Paris[1]) is a French windsurfer who has crossed the Atlantic, Pacific (Peru-Tahiti), and Indian Oceans, among others, on ocean-going surfboards measuring 7.50 to 7.80 meters long and approximately 75 cm wide. She has documented her experiences on the crossings in three books to date.

Ports of departure and arrival of windsurfer Rafaëla le Gouvello, in her trans-atlantic (2000), trans-Mediterranean (2002), trans-pacific (2003), trans-Indian Ocean (2006), and round-Great Britain (2007) tours. The connecting routes for the trans-oceanic trips are only drawn for better visibility and do not indicate the exact routes taken.

The veterinarian, who specializes in aquaculture (fish farms and the breeding of other aquatic animals), is committed to environmental protection and sustainable development, including through her windsurfing trips.

Le Gouvello began windsurfing in 1976, competed in competitions from 1977, and has been teaching as a windsurfing instructor since 1978. From 1980 to 1982, she improved her performance in open competitions, reaching seventh place among French female windsurfers.[2] Since 1984, le Gouvello has also regularly participated in funboarding.

Rafaëla le Gouvello in Douarnenez, a few days before the start of her first transoceanic boat race, the 2013 Transat 6.50.

From February 25 to April 24, 2000, she became the first woman (and the third windsurfer ever) to cross the Atlantic alone, without an escort, on a surfboard. The 7.5 m long and 1.3 m wide surfboard was designed by Guy Saillard for Stéphane Peyron, who had used it in 1987 to become the first windsurfer to cross the Atlantic alone[3] and who advised le Gouvello on her crossing. The flat hull, used instead of a conventional surfboard, contained, among other things, a sleeping accommodation and provisions, five spare sails, and the lowered sail and rig for use at night and in bad weather (see web links for photos). She needed 58 days, 10 hours and 11 minutes to cover the 2,750 nautical miles (just over 5,000 km) from Saly Portudal in Senegal, south of Dakar, to Le Diamant on the Caribbean island of Martinique; Peyron had needed only 49 days for the roughly 3,500 nautical miles from New York to the French town of La Baule. The unexpectedly long duration of le Gouvello’s crossing was due to unusually weak winds over two and a half weeks at the start of the voyage, forcing the Frenchwoman to ration her supplies in the last third of the journey; nevertheless, she had to have food supplies brought to her by a French naval ship from Guyana. There was also excitement on April 17, when le Gouvello fell from her surfboard; however, the safety line she was wearing kept her connected to the board and she was able to get back on easily.

The Frenchwoman’s next goal was to cross the Pacific. For this, she had a new windsurfing device built from 2001 to 2002, again designed by Saillard. The 7.80 m long, 1.30 m wide, and up to 75 cm thick hull offers space for a second sail, sleeping accommodation, a desalination plant, sufficient provisions, and various navigation devices; the maximum sail area is 7.4 m².

To test the device and prepare for the Pacific, le Gouvello first attempted a Mediterranean crossing – becoming the first windsurfer ever to do so. However, on her first attempt, which began on July 25, the Frenchwoman capsized and had trouble righting the device. On her second attempt, from August 25 to September 7, 2002, she succeeded in completing the first crossing of the Mediterranean on a surfboard, completing the 550 nautical miles (just over 1,000 km) from Marseille to Sidi Bou Saïd in Tunisia in 10 days, 1 hour, and 38 minutes. The new surfboard was faster than the previous one and also more reliable.

In 2003, she became the first windsurfer to cross the Pacific Ocean alone. The 4,455 nautical miles (approximately 8,250 km) journey from Lima, Peru, to Papeete, Tahiti is the longest distance the Frenchwoman has ever completed, taking 89 days and 7 hours from August 5 to November 2.

From April 10, 2006, to June 8, 2006, le Gouvello became the first and, as of 2008, only windsurfer to cross the Indian Ocean. The Frenchwoman needed 60 days, 2 hours, and 1 minute to complete the 3,541 nautical miles (over 6,500 km; direct route 3,262 nautical miles) from Exmouth, Australia, to Le Port, on the French island of Réunion, off Madagascar. During the voyage, le Gouvello repeatedly struggled with seasickness, gastritis, injuries and changing weather conditions.

In the spring of 2007, le Gouvello circumnavigated Great Britain while windsurfing. She visited 26 ports during her trip, where she promoted environmental protection in general and the protection of the British coast in particular through educational work. She also allowed windsurfers with basic experience (confirmed windsurfers) to try out her windsurfing gear.

Le Gouvello still uses the windsurfing gear, which was completed in May 2002 (as of 2008). In 2003, she had an “airbag” developed by Saillard in collaboration with ESA installed, which further simplifies righting the gear after a capsize. Since then, a large airbag at the rear of the windsurfing gear can be triggered from both inside and outside the hull. In 2005, the gear’s electrical system, electronics, and paintwork were overhauled.

Le Gouvello has nine brothers and sisters.

As a veterinarian, the Frenchwoman specialized in aquaculture (fish farming and breeding other aquatic animals). After graduating from high school in 1978, le Gouvello studied veterinary medicine and received her doctorate in 1985, writing her thesis on aquaculture in Taiwan in 1984. In 1986, she earned a Master of Science in Natural Resources from Humboldt State University in California. In 1987, she devoted herself to the reproduction of Chinese and Indian carp and the management of lakes in Bangladesh. A year later, she conducted a project on ichtyopathology (fish pathology) and aquatic techniques in France.

From 1987 to 1990, le Gouvello worked for an aquaculture food producer, then in the aquaculture program of a veterinary laboratory until 1993. In 1994, the Frenchwoman founded Stermor, a company that provides advice on nutrition, health, and hygiene for aquaculture. Le Gouvello operates the company from her hometown of Pénestin in the French Morbihan (Brittany).