South African adventurer Chris Bertish has set a new world record – for the third time – on his transatlantic stand up paddleboard (SUP) crossing.
Bertish broke his own world record for the third time on February 15 for his 24-hour unsupported and unassisted open ocean distance.
He smashed his previous record of 50.03 nautical miles with a distance of 62.54 nautical miles, approximately 115.82 kilometres.
“I had been thinking about trying to see if it was possible to break this current world record, but I knew it would all be down to finding the right conditions, late in my journey, when the trade winds are the most consistent, when the craft is a little lighter, after eating a great deal of the rations and being at a point in the journey where I was most comfortable with myself and my craft,” Bertish said.
Bertish is undertaking the first-ever solo SUP transatlantic crossing which he commenced on December 6, 2016. He started in Morocco and will complete his journey near Antigua in the Caribbean.
The driving inspiration behind the crossing is to raise money for charity. Bertish partnered with The Lunchbox Fund, Operation Smile and Signature of Hope with the target of raising over R18 million and making the entire project a completely self-sustainable charity initiative.
After breaking his latest world record, Bertish pledged to donate even more to charity.
“I'm going to personally donate and pay for one operation for a child in South Africa through Operation Smile for every World Record I achieve on this epic Trans-Atlantic World journey,” Bertish said.
According to his website, Bertish has currently raised R5 460 030.31. This amount of money is already enough to construct a school and feed over 5 000 children in need.
Operation Smile South Africa’s regional director, Central, Southern and West Africa, Tamlin Abrahams, said: “Chris’s willingness to make a donation for each milestone achieved speaks to a larger impact in which his every stroke continues to change lives.
“We are so honoured to be not only recipients of this momentous journey but also to partner with Chris as he literally changes lives one paddle stroke at a time. The SUP Crossing is a world record-breaking event but the legacy it will leave will be a world-changing one.”