Atlantic: Kites Power Atlantic Crossing

A Portuguese man has crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a small boat powered only by the sun and wind. He used kites to move the boat and solar power to use lights and equipment on the boat.

Published 3 years ago

Francisco’s route across the Atlantic – from his FB page.

Source:  Learning English

Francisco Lufinha arrived on the island of Martinique on December 20, 2021.  He hopes his trip will earn him a Guinness World record for Fastest Solo Atlantic Crossing by Kite Boat. He also hopes his trip will help people understand the need to protect the oceans.

The kite-powered boat reached top speeds of over 30 kilometers per hour. Lufinha traveled 6,400 kilometers in 25 days. The 38-year-old set out from Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal on November 3 and arrived on the Caribbean island of Martinique on December 20.

Sponsored by energy company EDP, the Atlantic Mission was the biggest challenge that Francisco Lufinha has undertaken.  His plan was to reuse an existing sailboat, adapt it to the kite’s traction, use renewable energies (wind, sun and water) and safely make this huge ocean crossing.  With this crossing, Francisco and EDP wanted to raise the awareness of society for the preservation of the oceans and, also, to break the Guinness record for Fastest Solo Atlantic Crossing by Kite Boat.

Francisco Lufinha is from Lisbon, Portugal and developed a strong connection with the sea early on. After sailing, surfing, wakeboarding and windsurfing, it was Kitesurf that aroused his greatest interest. Nautical activities are his passion, as he carries out extreme oceanic projects and promotes the preservation of the Ocean.

He holds the World Record for the Longest Kitesurf Trip without stopping (2015), after traveling 862 km of Portuguese Sea for 48 intense standing hours on the board. In 2017, he completed the crossing of the Portuguese Sea territory, after connecting the Azores to the continent in 10 days.

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Related News:

Portugese Kite-Surfer Crosses the Atlantic (Yahoo News)

Crossing the Atlantic on a Kite-Powered Boat (SurferToday)

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Related Links:

EDP Atlantic Mission

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Noonsite has not independently verified this information.

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