| Antoine Albeau and Guy Cribb cross the English Channel |
| Tuesday, 21 October 2008 10:43 |
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On Monday the 20th October, Guy Cribb and 13 X British Windsurfing Champion successfully crossed the English Channel in under 6 hours in stormy seas and raging winds. Guy Cribb along with French windsurfer Antoine Albeau windsurfed over 70 nautical miles (more than 130 kms) from Cherbourg to Poole, Dorset. The windsurfers tackled 4m waves, giant tankers and narrowly avoided 10 metre planks of wood that were floating in the channel. They sailed up to speeds of 30 knots and fought exhaustion and excruciating cramp to raise money for the Ellen MacArthur Trust and their French counterpart A Chacun Son Cap. An extremely exhausted Guy said: "That was the longest blast ever; it was so tough with no land in sight for so long. It was hard to gauge how well we were doing or where we were because the waves were mast high. The sea was incredibly rough, consistently rough throughout the entire journey which meant we couldn’t sail too fast because the conditions were so dangerous. We were on a port tack for the majority of the crossing; I got cramp in places I didn’t even know I could get cramp! The best moment was seeing England about an hour to the end. In seriousness I didn’t think I was going to make it but seeing land gave me a sudden burst of energy. Doing it for a children's charity, especially a charity that gives people confidence through sailing kept me going. I'm shattered, my hands and feet are bleeding, but we've done it. I'd like everyone who has not donated anything yet to donate some now at justgiving.com/windsurf as we've busted ourselves to complete this mission! Thanks!" The brave duo were cheered by a big crowd on Sandbanks beach as they finished their epic journey on Monday afternoon. So far, Guy and Antoine have already raised a fantastic £7000 for the Ellen MacArthur Trust.
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