From the beach, with Anthony Van Dort, 2 July 2012
This journey began on 23rd March 2010 when I received a phone call from Virgin’s Marketing Executive asking me whether Flexifoil would support Sir Richard Branson in an attempt to become the oldest person and the fastest person to cross the English Channel. Little did I know that twenty-eight months later I would be sitting here on the beach in Hythe, UK, reflecting on what was without a doubt the greatest adventure of my life. After hundreds of hours of calls, tens of meetings (and a few panicky moments), I am the happiest man in the world that a company founded by my late father and uncle in 1972, would be the chosen one to assist with Sir Richard Branson’s world record challenge.
Sir Richard Branson achieved the oldest person to cross the English Channel on Sunday 1st July. I stood on the front of the lead safety boat and watched closely as Richard rode the waves. I cannot remember exactly what words I shouted out from the boat but some of them definitely shouldn’t be written here (laughing). After three hours and forty-five minutes, I saw Sir Richard kitesurf onto the beach in Wimereux. He’d done it. There are no words to describe how happy I was to see him land safely and bag the record.
Only the day before, had Sir Richard’s son, Sam Branson, beaten the world record to become the fastest person to cross the English Channel in a record two hours and eighteen minutes. Twelve minutes quicker than the previous record held by Flexifoil International since 17th September 1999. Sam accompanied by eight others also went on to achieve the world record for the largest group of kitesurfers to successfully cross the English Channel.
I wonder what the next record challenge will be? Perhaps England to France to Belgium to Holland. Something to think about!
Acknowledgements
Saturday Record Riders
Sunday Record Riders
Sponsors
Virgin
Flexifoil International
The Blu
Supporting Companies
JM Yachting
PremiAir
Aquapac
Wimereux Kite
GoPro
Push Kiting
CS Kite
Project Directors
Alex Tai
Anthony Van Dort
Project Manager
Philippa Russ
France Based Support
Peter Vanden Bussche
Nick Demaree
Tim Loosbergh
Jeroen Christiaen
Julien Debriel
Julien Mormentyn
Thomas Husnu Rumelioglu
Stijn Langenaken
Dimitri Maddens
Marie Cheshire
Viv Cheshire
Jane Cheshire
England Based Support
Aaron Hadlow
Helen Clarke
Sarah Young
Ray Sparkes
Debbie Sparkes
David Ursell
Kris Beech
Andrew Kruszynski
Charlotte Durrant
Justin Bufton
Craig Sparkes
Ryan Austin
Danny Dyne
Wendy Van Dort
Carol Van Dort
Philip Holt
Sue Barclay
Nigel Barclay
Photographers / Film / PR
Chris Skone Roberts
Jackie McQuillan
David Ursell
James Hendrick
Ben Byford
Eric Desaunois
Henrik De Blieck
Leen De Blieck
Greg Rose
Charmaine Clarke
Air Support
PremiAir Team
Sea Support
James McGillvray
Trevor Oldfield Hodge
Phil Gruar
Brett Jordan Davis
Flexifoil Kite Design
Andy Preston
Flexifoil Graphical Design
Josh Sowter
Flexifoil Impact Vest Design
Mel Ramoudt
Flexifoil International
Chris Allen
Sue Barclay
Legal
Jennifer Coote
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