On Wednesday 1 November 2023, the biopic “Flo” was unveiled in cinemas. Retracing the life of renowned yachtswoman Florence Arthaud, the film is an opportunity to look back at the career of a woman who left an indelible mark on the history of the sport.
The first woman to win the Route du Rhum, Florence Arthaud was immersed in the maritime world from an early age. It was with her family, her father and her brother, that she began sailing. In 1974, at the age of 17, she was involved in a terrible car accident, which left her in hospital for six months following a coma and paralysis. It took her two years to make a full recovery.
But this tragedy did not discourage the young woman. At the age of 18, she embarked on her first Atlantic crossing with navigator Jean-Claude Parisis. Just four years later, in 1978, she took part in the Route du Rhum, the legendary single-handed transatlantic sailing race held every four years. It was the first of many races for this adventurer of the seas. And although she finished 11th in the rankings, her motivation and sailing skills stood out from the outset.
Florence Arthaud, legend of the waves
Four years after embarking on her first Route du Rhum, she tried her luck again but finished 20th in 1982, then 11th in 1986. And it wasn’t until 1990 that her dream came true.
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Featured photo: Jean-Yves Ruszniewski | © Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
