Fastest solo kiteboating crossing of the Atlantic

The fastest solo kiteboating crossing of the Atlantic took 20 days, 4 hours and 35 minutes and was achieved by Francisco Lufinha (Portugal), from La Palma (Canary Islands) to Martinica (Caribbean Sea), between 30 November and 20 December 2021.

Francisco Lufinha loves to test his limits and try to accomplish extreme challenges that have never been done before. All of it "while passing a message of sustainability along the way". Francisco believes that a Guinness World Records title gives him extra recognition from people that allow him to get more media space for this message. "Of course, it is also very cool to have the GWR certificate hanging at the house!" he completed.

Lufinha discovered he had the skill to potentially achieve this record after connecting the entire Portuguese territory kitesurfing between 2013 and 2017. He also previously achieved the GWR title for longest journey kite surfing (male) in 2015. His sailing background has also helped him, by doing 3 Atlantic crossings. He felt that he could mix my kitesurfing techniques with his sailing skills as well as offshore experience to enable a fast kiteboard for this adventure.

During a year previous to the attempt, Francisco spent his days thinking, developing and doing tests to achieve a boat in which he could manage to get to the other side of the Atlantic fast. "It was much more demanding psychologically than physically during preparation". As for the crossing itself, he stretched a lot to keep his muscles active. In the months before the crossing, he reinforced his body with proprioceptive exercises for the joints to be strong.

At the beginning of the attempt, he was very frustrated because the wind was not the best. He was not able to keep the kite in the air despite several attempts but he wanted to go anyway and leave La Palma island. So he did it very slowly, being pushed by the waves and light wind with the kite on the water, sometimes hanging on the boat. "It is always a mixed feeling about wanting to go into the adventure and thinking about the danger I am putting myself into, and missing my wife and 2 children". But once that psychological barrier is passed "then the magic starts to appear, you get an intense relationship with nature and enter challenge mode where you have to adapt to what nature provides and just keep going tods your goal".

Francisco affirmed to be "addicted to these challenges, in a good way". He is always thinking about doing more and more adventures that have a purpose and that allow him to break or set a new GWR title. When the time comes, he intends also to attempt for the "oldest person to" record category.

It means a lot to him to achieve this second GWR title, "a recognition of the endless work that he has put into this challenge and a very impactful way to share this achievement with the world!".