last splash

The Terrible Baron’s last splash

The Terrible Baron Arnaud de Rosnay who in September last year travelled from the Marquesas to the Tuamotu islands on a surfboard (PIM Nov 1980 pl 8), made yet another splash between Christmas and New Year in the Tahitian media as as in the ocean somewhere south of the Marquesas. What srompted the Terrible Baron (whose nickname stems from his erratic behaviour and childish boasting) to return to the scene )f his previous exploits was mainly the huge sums of money he lad been promised by various French magazines and lewsagencies, if he managed to confound his numerous critics.

Fhese had all maintained that he must have been secretly issisted by an escort vessel, since it is beyond human endurance 0 windsurf for 10 days in succession over such an enormous listance 900 km —in the manner Arnaud de Rosnay )retended to have done it.

As I proved conclusively in an article, first published in rench in La Depeche de Tahiti and reprinted in English (PIM )ec 1980 p 25), the Terrible Baron had. in fact, cheated but in 1 ver y subtle manner. He had transformed his surfboard into a

miniature catamaran, and used a kite as a sail. He could therefore not really claim, as he did, to have set a new world record in long distance windsurfing.

Stung by being branded constantly a liar and cheat, the Terrible Baron eventually accepted a SUS2O 000 bet and flew back to Tahiti, where he chartered a small escort vessel named Aquaholics. The only new twist was his seemingly sincere fear of being attacked by blood-thirsty sharks. He even demon strated in an extremely vivid manner how he was going to defend himself with the help of a ‘Bang stick’, or ‘Lupara’.

By the time the yacht reached the point of departure, Taiohae in the Marquesas, Arnaud de Rosnay had lined up three impartial witnesses who were to embark with him and testify to the world about his heroic deeds. Two of them were described simply as ‘two young French workmen on a Pacific holiday’ and as it turned out they were seasick from the first minute. The third witness, however, was better chosen, for he was a professional photographer from Paris-Match magazine. The departure, which included ‘a ceremonial and symbolic sever ance with the Marquesas archipelago’, took place on December 27.

A week later, the Aquaholics reached Manihi atoll in the Tuamotu group with a far from heroic story to tell. Already during the first 24 hours, the yacht several times lost contact with the baron, who gradually grew more and more tired. The next night the skipper of the Aquaholics threw a line to the baron, but since both the yacht and the surfboard were drifting aimlessly they kept banging up against each other. On the third day the poor baron was so exhausted he gave up.

The only lesson to be learned from this ridiculous misadventure is, of course, that it is indeed beyond human endurance to windsurf more than a day or two, even with long breaks for sleeping. But it is perfectly possible, with good weather and some luck, to do a sort of water toboggan race, in a sitting position, on a plastic board equipped with an outrigger

and floats.

Bengt Danielsson.

The picture reveals how Arnaud de Rosnay did it. Thanks to the inflated rubber gunwale, the surfboard is transformed into a small zodiac dinghy. The mast is securely tied across the craft, and, equipped as it is with plastic floats on both sides, it acts like a double canoe outrig-

ger boom. The whole strange contraption is pulled by a huge inflatable kite. In this manner great safety and stability are achieved at the expense of speed. Actually the average speed for de Rosnay’s 10-day cruise was only two knots. - Paris-Match picture