The 26-year-old from France has finally reached Spain to become the first woman to row the Atlantic from west to east.

After 117 days 14 hours and 12mins, Maud Fontenoy made a landfall at La Coruña yesterday at 4am local time. She left from St Pierre et Miquelon off Newfoundland on 13 June and has battled Atlantic storms, cold seas, and gale force winds to finally finish her crossing.

Fontenoy planned to end her incredible voyage at Ouessant Island off the coast of Brittany ? on French soil. As she approached the Bay of Biscay however, the weather was not on her side and strong winds kept blowing her off course. Her estimated date of arrival had been 25th September. She fought for two weeks to make the further journey to France, especially since she had been told that her sponsorship depended on it. With increasing fatigue, imminent winter storms with winds of up to 40 knots and little food or water remaining it was decided that Maud could no longer expect to land in her homeland.

As the Frenchwoman came close to the coast of Spain two days ago, cargo liners passed almost incessantly, some less than 30 metres away, at speeds of more than 15 knots. Ultimately a French naval launch was dispatched to protect her tiny boat.
It remains unreported how her sponsors will react to Fontenoy arriving in Spain rather than France, but for the moment she is happy to be safe back on dry land. However, her ordeal is not quite finished ? she has a series of press conferences to attend in La Coruña before returning home.

For more information on Maud?s victory go to www.oceanrowing.com