Francisco Lufinha: the Portuguese kiteboarder completed the fastest-ever solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a kite boat | Photo: Francisco Lufinha

Francisco Lufinha has successfully completed the 6,700-kilometer (4,160 miles) crossing of the Atlantic Ocean on a kite-powered multi-hull boat.

The kitesurfer kicked off the sailing challenge on November 3, 2021, in Cascais, Portugal.

Five days later, Lufinha was forced to make a technical stop in La Palma, in the Canary Islands, where he fixed malfunctions in his kite and made some minor adjustments to the boat.

After resuming the journey, the Portuguese ocean explorer faced extreme air and water temperatures, on-the-fly repairs, and strong winds.

He even found time to answer a call from the Portuguese president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

Francisco Lufinha: arriving at Anse Meunier Beach, in Martinique, after crossing the Atlantic Ocean | Photo: Francisco Lufinha

A Guinness World Record

On December 20, the kiteboarder sighted land and arrived at Anse Meunier Beach in Martinique at 11 am local time.

"The transatlantic mission was by far the most physically and psychologically demanding challenge I have overcome to date," expressed Francisco Lufinha.

"There were several tense moments and resilience tests from developing the boat and preparing the crossing to the 47 days en route to the Caribbean."

"I fulfilled another dream. It was another extreme achievement, and I couldn't be more pleased - mission accomplished."

The connection between the Canaries and the Caribbean took 20 days.

The Guinness World Records is expected to confirm Lufinha's fastest-ever solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a kite boat.

One of the Atlantic Mission goals supported by a Portuguese electric utility company was to prove that the power of wind, water, and the sun is inexhaustible.

The specially designed multi-hull boat was exclusively powered by renewable energy.

It used a kite, solar panels, and a hydro-generator to generate thrust and sail across the Atlantic waters.

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