In the 1990s, a real estate crisis hit his sponsor, who was unable to build him the trimaran of his dreams, to set off on the hunt for records. Little by little, she stopped competing at a high level, but she didn't stop sailing, her passion. She attends the start of major races and divides her time between Paris and Marseille, where she is based at La Madrague. It must also be said that Florence is a warrior at sea, "uncontrollable" on land. She likes to have fun, party, drink and smoke... which is not to the taste of sponsors. "I enjoyed the extraordinary times when women won their freedom - the pill, abortion, peace and love."
In 1989, she recorded a duet with Pierre Bachelet: "Flo".
In 1993, Florence Arthaud became the mother of a little girl named Marie, whom she had with the navigator Loïc Lingois. " As for all mothers, this is probably one of the best days of my life. I've had some magical moments, but none like this one. Giving life to something divine." In 1997, she won the Transpacific in duo with Bruno Peyron and sailed the Solitaire du Figaro. In 2002, she tried to raise the necessary sum to buy the trimaran Sport-Elec, on which Olivier de Kersauson sailed, to set the solo round the world record, but was unable to do so. In 2004, she took part in the double-handed Lorient-Saint-Barth transatlantic race with Lionel Péan.
In 2005, she married Éric Charpentier, but her marriage quickly fell apart. "The party was long and joyful, the wedding didn't go into overtime. I have no talent for married life. I just wanted to get married while keeping my pirate life. It was hard to get through, and the marriage was a shipwreck, even before the planned honeymoon to the Seychelles."
In 2006 and 2007, she sailed her last competitive sailings, alongside Luc Poupon, Philippe's brother.
In 2009, she published her autobiography, " A wind of freedom" The film is prefaced by Olivier de Kersauson, in which she recounts her life, her dreams, her projects, but also her alcohol addictions. In 2010, she was arrested for drunk driving and lost her license.
On 29 October 2011, she falls into the water, in the middle of the night, off the Cap Corse. For the second time in her life, she played with death, spending nearly three hours trying to keep her head above water. She owes her salvation to her mobile phone and her headlamp - thanks to which she warns her mother. Her brother immediately warns CROSS and the sailor is rescued two hours later, geolocated by her phone. In a state of hypothermia, she was taken to the hospital in Bastia, from which she was released the next day.
Last October, for the start of the Route du Rhum, she deplored the lack of female presence. And she stresses that sponsors don't jump for joy "when it comes to entrusting a big boat to a woman." In 2010, to celebrate the 20th e anniversary of her victory, she would have liked to line up at the start in Saint-Malo, but hadn't secured any sponsors. "I was a little disgusted. They had reopened the race for tall ships. It was the 20th anniversary of my victory and I intended to take part in it on a huge trimaran, Oman (30 m). But I didn't manage to get the boat, so they preferred to give it to a man - Sidney Gavignet, who abandoned it after it was damaged. It definitely disgusted me and I thought, "All right, I'm out!"
Florence Arthaud was working on a project for a race reserved for women, the first edition of which is due to take place in the summer of 2015, in the Mediterranean. She is the only woman, along with Marielle Goitschel, to have won the Prix Monique Berlioux from the Académie des Sports twice, in 1978 and 1990. It rewards the best female sports performance of the past year.
For all, she will remain the "Little Bride of the Atlantic". This woman with a thirst for freedom, adventurous at heart, who " suffers when she doesn't sail" led her life the way she wanted, taking advantage of the new freedom of women. Attracted by men, partying and drinking, she made no secret of it, but her real passion was the ocean." I am only the bride of the Atlantic, after all. No man will ever make me as happy as the Ocean. It's the sea that carries me away and reassures me. It makes me vibrate with an invisible pleasure. Even my blue flower side doesn't hold me back on land. Life as a couple doesn't really make me dream. I have too many things to discover. I want to live!"
She was scarcer on the media scene, but enjoyed sailing just as much." I'm also asked if I'm still sailing. Every year, at the start of the races, I get "Florence Arthaud, the return!", as if I had disappeared from the traffic. But all these years, I've been on the water... But on smaller boats, or for less high-profile events." Having thwarted death several times, it took a filming on the other side of the world for a helicopter crash to take the life of one of the greatest navigators.
Quotes from "Un vent de liberté" by Florence Arthaud.
