The Kouroucien Hoyau Patrick, 47, winner of the transatlantic Bouvet Rames Guyane 2009 " !
The engineer of the Mountain of the Fathers, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, won the trophy in 42 days 11:27 minutes and 44 seconds, cutting the finish line Sunday, April 19 late afternoon. The crossing record (40 days) established by Roman Berge at the 2006 edition is certainly not defeated, but Patrick has done a Hoyau magnificent feat by taking the lead in the 18th day race, Patrick Favre, and its retention to the finish!
The city of Cayenne had organized a welcoming ceremony at the cove Montabo this Sunday afternoon. The curious looked to the horizon for a glimpse of the winner's boat.
Unfortunately, Patrick Hoyau had great difficulty in navigating the powerful current of Guyana who continually repelled too far north. At the cost of heroic effort, he cut the line arrival, located off the island of Cayenne, at 17 h 27. Unable reasonably organized before dark, the welcoming ceremony, scheduled on the continent, was repulsed but after discounting the presence of the second, Mathieu Bonnier, who had arrived 19 hours later.
Monday afternoon, onlookers, invited the media to come to honor the two convicts from the sea, gradually invaded the beach at the Novotel in scanning the horizon to locate the boats of the heroes of the day.
Then came, the oars, canoe SDVI No. 22 Patrick Hoyau. A finish line was represented by two dummy yellow buoys.
Wind, wave and current skipper prevented from passing between the two buoys. He decided to plunge into the water to reach land and the crowd came to cheer.
After the last swim and nearly 6 weeks of solitude ...
... it was a walkabout! (video of Bernard Sieber)
