I'm still standing: paddleboarder makes world-first Atlantic crossing

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Chris Bertish arrives in Antigua after 4,050 miles in 93 days, the first person ever to paddle a stand-up board across the ocean

A South African man has become the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean on a stand-up paddleboard after completing an epic 4,050-mile voyage alone at sea.

Chris Bertish pulled into Antigua, in the Leeward islands of the Caribbean, at 8.32am local time (12.32pm GMT) Thursday after departing from Agadir, Morocco, 93 days ago, said SUP the Mag.

In his last “captain’s log” posted on Facebook and written roughly an hour before he completed his nautical expedition, Bertish said: “A day I have been working toward for as long as I can remember … I’ve put everything on the line for this project for the last five years … everything!”



Bertish, 42, a big-wave surfer as well as sailor, who won the renowned Mavericks surf contest in northern California in 2010, had contended with sharks, storms and loneliness on the adventure.

His journey was accomplished on a custom-built 20ft-long board, built for $120,000 (£99,000). The board was designed by a British boat designer and naval architect, Phil Morrison, and took six months to construct.

The front of the craft has a cabin, in which Bertish sat upright, and within a small sleeping space he kept his satellite weather forecasting equipment, GPS systems, VHF radios, an autopilot system, satellite phone, solar panels and water stores.

When storms hit, Bertish was able to take cover and stabilise the board using anchors. The craft, capable of righting itself if it capsized, was fitted with an emergency grab bag, flares and life-raft.

The last attempt to cross the Atlantic on a stand-up paddleboard ended a week into the trip with the “captain”, the Frenchman Nicolas Jarossay, being pulled from the sea by a rescue crew.



Bertish paddled an average of 43 miles a day, beating his plan for 30 miles daily. He managed a gruelling 60 miles on the penultimate day to make the final push. He mostly travelled at night to avoid sun exposure and said he kept well-nourished with protein shakes, freeze-dried meals and salty jerky.



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