Frenchwoman windsurfs across Indian Ocean

SAINT-DENIS-DE-LA-REUNION, Reunion, June 9 (Reuters) Frenchwoman Raphaela le Gouvello became the first person to windsurf across the Indian Ocean after spending 60 days at sea on a specially designed 7-metre (23-foot) board.

Le Gouvello, 46, set out from Exmouth in northwestern Australia on April 9 and windsurfed some 6,500 km (4,000 miles) to get to the French island of La Reunion.

The official time for the voyage was 60 days, two hours and one minute.

She fell into the sea on a number of occasions during the crossing and her board capsized twice, but an accompanying team escorting her across the ocean prevented serious mishap.

''I didn't have any major problems on a physical level,'' she told reporters after reaching La Reunion.

She has previously completed solo crossings of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

''This is the last of my great ocean crossings on a windsurf and alone,'' she said yesterday.

REUTERS CH KP0856