Setting out from the Canary Islands on 14 December 2017, two fifty-somethings - Philippe Berquin and Gilles Ponthieux aged 58 and 60 respectively - crossed the Atlantic in 52 days in a rowing boat. They arrived in Martinique on February 5, 2018 and are thus carrying out their Quinquatlantic Challenge Audilab, aimed at promoting better living. "Together, with this crossing of the Atlantic, we wanted to prove that meeting challenges is always possible, at any age."
For this challenge, the 2 rowers were aboard a 7 m carbon boat propelled by human energy, unsinkable and capable of righting itself in case of capsize. Only one oarsman is on deck and there is a constant need to reposition the weights to maintain balance, as the boat is light and not very stable. During periods of bad weather, the small cabin can accommodate 2 people, but in a rather uncomfortable manner. The energy is supplied by solar panels, on board there is no engine or fossil energy as the challenge was ecological. To eat, the quinquas used mainly freeze-dried food while a desalinator produced about 10 L of fresh water per day.
The goal of this crazy challenge was to be the oldest crew to row across the Atlantic, the second largest ocean on the planet. It was Phillipe, a 58-year-old sportsman from Nantes who initiated the project. He has made several Atlantic crossings by sail and wanted to show that ageing is not a fatality. He has teamed up with Gilles, nearly 60 years old, who also has several crossings to his credit. This former top-level windsurfer is now suffering from Parkinson's disease.
Key figures of the Quinquatlantic Challenge-Audilab
2 the number of rowers
2 months the duration of the crossing
7 meters the length of the canoe
10 liters water consumption per day for the crew
5,000 km the distance between the start in the Canary Islands and the finish in Martinique
5 000 the number of calories burned per day, per rower
1 000 000 the number of strokes required for the crossing.
