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Rowing the North Atlantic

Anne Quéméré's oars tame the North Atlantic

By Jean-Louis Touzet - Release August 2004

...“There are crazy people everywhere.” It is necessary to have an immoderate passion for the high seas before embarking on a dizzying challenge that capsizes those who do not have sea legs. Because you don't row for 87 days and 12 hours without questioning your impudent nature. “I told myself that there are crazy people everywhere”, she confided, having fun with herself, shortly before her departure. Make no mistake: Anne Quéméré has a cold temperament. She gave today's society a rather unfavorable portrait, where the heroes would find themselves under the hooves of a horse: “We don't impose our great men on the public, it must be free to choose. I'm not explaining that I'm a good person. Maybe in the end I was in the wrong era?

Mademoiselle rows naturally, as Mme de Sévigné wrote, it being understood that the Finistère had already crossed the South Atlantic in 2002-2003. There are misconceptions about maritime heroines. It does not grow scales on them. And they don't have gills. Anne, for example, does not row on the backs of whales, because, first of all, you skid easily and, suddenly, that lengthens the route (6,450 km, all the same). She is a distinguished woman, very frank, with light eyes, rather tall, very disinterested and, as a result, little aware of money matters. She often stressed that she had "nothing to sell". We readily believe it, as it is possible today to advertise without risking one's life on a hostile and raging sea. It is all the more meritorious that the adventure would rather be consumed canned. Almost in a water bath...

©Anne Quéméré
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