NAVIGATION - SAILING: The Guirec Soudée navigator is still rowing towards Brittany

It was in Saint Martin, after his first crossing of the Atlantic by rowing in 74 days, that the sailor Guirec Soudée had stopped to train in order to reach the Breton coasts ... which are slow to emerge. horizon.

We had met Guirec at the beginning of June so that he could tell us about his adventures and his enthusiasm for making the crossing again in the other direction despite his many apprehensions, and the weather conditions were not kind to him. If Guirec wanted to complete this physical feat of 5000 kilometers by row in 80 days, it has now been more than three months that he has been milling 16 hours a day in the direction of France. Currently, he is in the same position as three weeks ago. Used to traveling at sea with his hen globetrotter Monique and her dog Bosco, Guirec Soudée can only count on himself to face the difficulties. Storm, boat overturned, satellite phone out of order, nothing will have been spared at Guirec, who maintains a steel mind and unfailing motivation. A month of July without being able to give news is an eternity when you are alone in the middle of the ocean. Unique link with the rest of the world, a fixed VHS radio, safety rule necessary to continue the expedition. On August 13, a chemical tanker vessel spotted Guirec which enabled him to communicate with his team based in France, reassure his relatives and the many people who follow the sailor's journey on a daily basis. Each time Guirec passed a ship, he refused any help, eager to complete the crossing. There was only a third of the way left in Guirec to finally return to his native Brittany. But the sea decided otherwise, subjecting the sailor to another radio silence until August 18 when his oars crossed a bulk carrier which then gave a sign of life from the intrepid navigator, a new position and an estimate of arrival in the first week. September. The easterly wind has since foiled this plan by constantly pushing the mad rower back. However, he should breathe the scent of Breton salted butter between September 24 and 27, finally ... _VX