Crossing the Atlantic only drifting and swiming is the story of Guy Delage, who made the headlines of newspapers. A strong scientific team had prepared and communicated with him every day.
“Oceanantes” : December 16, 1994, Guy Delage only leaves the beaches of the archipelago of Cape Verde.
The goal is to reach the island of Barbados in the Caribbean, swimming from 6 to 8 hours per day and diverting the remaining time on a tiny raft. There is no accompanying boat. He arrived in Barbados 55 days later!
Characteristics of the raft:
Length 4 m
Width 2.5m
Weight 225 Kg
Major Sponsors:
Sector Watches
Mairie de Nantes
General Restoration
Research Center Nestlé
Leclerc Verdun
Objectives:
Studying the behavior of humans during long-term efforts in a hostile environment (physiology, psychology, stress)
Observe the pelagic fauna encountered and their behavior
Develop a set of products needed to this task (food, mask, fins, wetsuit, anti shark).
Material:
Raft: habitable part of 2 m long, 0.6 wide and 0.75m high. Facilities 110kg. Food 153 kg
Swimming float
Fins prototype mask prototype diving suit prototype.
Preparation:
900 hours of endurance training
Preparation Nutritional
150 scientists from 55 research programs to achieve the necessary material to the experience.
Difficulties encountered:
Shark attack
Loss of the raft for 2 hours 30
Burn jellyfish Physalia
Results, advances in knowledge, patents:
Mask panoramic view (170 °) without distortion (now used by the U.S. Navy)
Fins for endurance
Combination of long-term effort
Food effort tailored to the nutrition of diabetics (Nestle)
Electric Anti Shark
Scientific publications:
Comments offish - Cybium 1995, 19 (4): 413-417
Amac 9th day on the composite 22 to 24 November 1994
Mechanism of damage of composite (Lamy-Burtin) 11th Congress of French mechanical Lille 1993
The combination of the feat - ITF - 1995
