Portuguese man successfully crosses the Atlantic using only kite power
Last updated on: 22 December,2021 09:24 pm
Portuguese man successfully crosses the Atlantic using only kite power
(Reuters) - Portuguese kitesurfer Francisco Lufinha successfully sailed some 6,400 kilometres (about 4,000 miles) across the Atlantic using only the power of kites to pull his small boat.
The 38-year-old adventurer set out from Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal on November 3 and arrived in the Caribbean island of Martinique on December 20.
Lufinha was only at sea 25 of those days, however, after a planned stop at the Canary Islands was prolonged due to adverse winds forcing him to remain there from November 8 until November 30.
Lufinha made the crossing completely on his own in a 7.2-metre-long and 5.6-metre-wide trimaran with a small, cockpit-sized cabin.
He acquired fresh water for his trip using a hand pump that converted sea water via reverse osmosis.
All the power needed onboard was generated using solar powers and Lufinha steered his launch using remote controls that positioned his kites.
The kite-powered vessel reached top speeds of over 30 km/h (18.6 mph).
Lufinha hopes to be inducted into the Guinness World Records for the fastest Atlantic crossing in a kite boat.