Record breakers: the Branson kitesurf
- By Jack Preston -
- Jul 02, 2012
This weekend saw Richard Branson take to the water, as he attempted to beat the world record time for kitesurfing the English Channel. Branson, accompanied by various family members, left France dressed in a pirate outfit as he evaded the French authorities who hadn’t exactly given the trip their blessing.
All was going well until technical problems meant that Branson had to abandon the kitesurf, with son Sam steaming on ahead to break the record himself – shaving 12 minutes off with a time of two hours and 18 minutes.
Never one to give up, Branson jumped back in the water the following morning, managing to become the oldest person to ever achieve the feat. To hear what the man himself made of it all, head over to his blog, or check out these exclusive pictures below.
The kitesurfers prepare themselves for the journey on French soil...
...father and son talk tactics as they head down to the water...
...before Richard points the way to the finish line...
...a choppy ride saw strong winds test the team, with some members getting on better than others...
...all smiles at the end though, with Sam Branson breaking the fastest time world record, Richard Branson becoming the oldest person to complete the challenge and a team effort rewarded with the record of biggest group crossing - in total nine people finished.
By Jack Preston. Content Executive. Tweets at @JackPressedOn
