Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe TAHITI, France, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- France's Raphaela Le Gouvello arrived in Tahiti Monday after windsurfing 5,000 miles for 89 days across the Pacific Ocean, the BBC reported. Le Gouvello set off on her adventure at the beginning of August, leaving the Peruvian capital, Lima, on a specially built surfboard, which allowed her to eat and sleep in special watertight compartments. Advertisement She has previously windsurfed across the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The route across the Pacific from Lima to Papeete is straight, but inclement weather and unpredictable swells made the crossing extremely hazardous, especially for a lone sailor on a surfboard that is less than 24 feet long. Her challenges also included overcoming seasickness, the cold, not to speak of warding off the sharks. Le Gouvello spent about seven hours a day at the sail. The European Space Agency provided a craft with an airbag system, which guarded against capsizing. Electricity on board was generated by solar cells, while satellite navigation ensured she was heading in the right direction across some of the most isolated stretches of water to be found anywhere. A back-up vessel did track her progress, but was not allowed to come within 600 feet for the voyage to qualify as a solo achievement. Advertisement Le Gouvello plans to resume her extraordinary journey next year, sailing to New Caledonia and then on to northern Australia.
