Florence Arthaud(1957 — 2015)
Florence Arthaud
France
6 min read
Florence Arthaud (1957-2015) was a French sailor, the first woman to win the Route du Rhum in 1990. Nicknamed “the little sweetheart of the Atlantic,” she established herself as a major figure in offshore racing.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born on 28 October 1957 in Boulogne-Billancourt
- 1990: first woman to win the Route du Rhum, aboard the trimaran Pierre 1er
- Set a record that same year for the solo crossing of the North Atlantic
- Nicknamed “the little sweetheart of the Atlantic”
- Died on 9 March 2015 in a helicopter collision in Argentina during a filming shoot
Works & Achievements
First woman to win the Route du Rhum, aboard the trimaran “Pierre 1er”, breaking the race record: a feat that left its mark on the history of sailing.
Florence Arthaud set a new record on this crossing, confirming her status as one of the greatest sailors of all.
Autobiography in which she recounts her journey, the accident of her youth, and her passion for the sea.
Account of her fall into the sea off Cap Corse in 2011 and of her miraculous rescue.
Anecdotes
At 17, in 1974, Florence Arthaud was the victim of a terrible car accident that left her in a coma for several days and threatened to leave her paralyzed. During her long rehabilitation, she turned to the sea, which became for her a true second birth and a promise of freedom.
During the 1990 Route du Rhum, her positioning beacon failed in the middle of the ocean and the organizers lost track of her for several hours, fearing the worst. Florence nevertheless reappeared in the lead and crossed the finish line as the winner, becoming the first woman to win this legendary solo transatlantic race.
After her 1990 victory, the press and the public nicknamed her “the little fiancée of the Atlantic.” The daughter of publisher Jacques Arthaud, who released travel and adventure stories, she had grown up surrounded by explorers' books before becoming an ocean heroine herself.
In October 2011, at night, Florence Arthaud fell overboard off Cap Corse while sailing. Swept away by the current in the cold water and darkness, she managed to call for help thanks to a waterproof mobile phone tucked into her wetsuit, and she was pulled from the water safe and sound.
On 9 March 2015, Florence Arthaud died in Argentina in a collision between two helicopters, during the filming of the television show “Dropped.” The accident also claimed the lives of other famous French athletes, such as swimmer Camille Muffat and boxer Alexis Vastine.
Primary Sources
In this account, the navigator looks back on the accident of her youth and tells how the sea offered her a rebirth and an immense feeling of freedom.
Here she recounts her fall into the sea at night off Cap Corse in 2011, the hours spent in the water and her last-minute rescue thanks to her waterproof phone.
The press hails the victory of Florence Arthaud, the first woman to win the Route du Rhum, and nicknames her “the little sweetheart of the Atlantic”.
Florence Arthaud speaks of the solitude of the race, the failure of her beacon and the emotion of crossing the finish line in the lead.
Key Places
Town in the Paris suburbs where Florence Arthaud was born in 1957, into the family of publisher Jacques Arthaud.
Breton port from which the Route du Rhum sets off. Florence Arthaud started the race here, going on to win it in 1990.
Finish-line town of the Route du Rhum, on the other side of the Atlantic. This is where she crossed the line as the winner in 1990.
Northern tip of Corsica, off whose shores Florence Arthaud fell into the sea at night in 2011 before being rescued.
Region in north-western Argentina where she died in 2015 in the collision of two helicopters during a filming shoot.
