In 1982, Christian Marty crossed the Atlantic on a windsurf board. At the time, I was 12 years old and from Guyana. Christian Marty arrived in Kourou, Guyana, and I went to meet him at the Îles du Salut. I joined him for the last 10 kilometers. For me, it was a revelation.

I knew that at 55, my body would struggle to keep up, so I focused everything on my mental strength. My physical preparation consisted of two hours of cardio in the morning and two hours of weight training in the afternoon, six days a week, for 18 months. I took Sundays off. I subjected myself to grueling training, both physically and mentally, because I wanted the crossing to feel like a relief. Mentally, I opted for repetitive and challenging exercises, like running uphill and cycling under similar conditions. Most importantly, five weeks before my departure, I isolated myself from my family by going to Font-Romeu in the Pyrenees, at 2000 meters altitude, to boost my red blood cell count. Being in the cold and snow, away from my family, was excellent mental training, even though I hated it.

Without hesitation, the lack of sleep was the hardest part. The nights were very tough to handle, along with spending 5 to 7 hours a day on the board. At 55, it was difficult, but mental strength prevailed.

If you followed my journey, you would know that I had to board the catamaran 10 days after my departure because the lack of sleep had become dangerous. This was on the doctor’s and the team’s orders; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to complete my challenge (e.g., one hour of sleep in three days).

The choice of my sails was excellent; I didn’t make any mistakes there. However, on downwind stretches, they weren’t deep enough, so I decided to do everything on a broad reach, even if it meant lengthening my route. Yes, I recommend this type of sail: easy to handle and powerful, capable of withstanding large variations in wind conditions.

Indeed, the Exocet 11’8 Original board is easy to sail, stable, and sufficiently long for this type of crossing. It’s a very well-designed product, and I thank Mr. Patrice Belbeoc’h for it.

A crucial piece of advice is to carefully choose your crew, have thorough physical and mental preparation, and, most importantly, take your time. Test everything thoroughly before setting out to sea. Consistency pays off in this kind of adventure.