12-year-old Tom Horan crossed the English channel on the training boat
12-year-old Frenchman Tom Horan set a new record by crossing the English channel in a child’s training boat the Optimist.
Tom Horan went to the Isle of Wight at 5 am local time, and arrived in France after 14 hours and 20 minutes, thereby beating the previous record set by 15-year-old Violette Dorange in 2016, for 36 minutes.
Tom Horan says he was hoping to walk in the footsteps of famous French sailors. While crossing the English channel his father followed him a short distance in case something went wrong. And after he completed the transition, his mother said, “he’s stubborn, ambitious and persistent” and that she is very proud of them.
12-year-old Tom Horan crossed the English channel on the training boat
12-year-old Tom Horan crossed the English channel on the training boat
Of course! 12-year-old student made the 60-mile crossing by boat Optimist with an average speed of over 4 knots. Moreover, along the way That suffered from sea-sickness, and wanted to abort the transition in five hours, but his father convinced him to continue.
At the end of the transition Tom said that he hoped one day to repeat the achievements of the French yachtsman françois Gabaret, who last year set a new record for a solo circumnavigation on his racing trimaran Macif.
- François Gabaret set a new record for a solo circumnavigation
12-year-old Tom Horan crossed the English channel on the training boat
For inspiration here are a few of the children’s records that will be envied every adult:
As for the channel… How about crossing swim? In 1988, eleven year old Tom Gregory became the youngest swimmer ever to cross the English channel. He didn’t stop for 12 hours, to achieve the goal!
In 2007, 14-year-old Englishman became the youngest sailor to solo across the Atlantic ocean. Michael Perham completed a 3500-mile crossing on his yacht Cheeky Monkey. He broke the previous record set in 2003, 15-year-old Seb Clover. At age 17 he became the youngest sailor who made a solitary tour around the world after a painful fight with giant waves, stormy winds and technical problems during a 30,000-mile journey.
The glory did not last long, and soon, in 2012 it took the title of Dutch schoolgirl Laura Dekker, who completed a circumnavigation in the age of 16, after lengthy litigation over whether she’s allowed to make the same circumnavigation. Laura – that’s a separate conversation. Read her interview:
- What is the Dutch yachtswoman Laura Dekker?
Sailing school Interpares
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