Hungarian Athletes Aim for World Record in Crossing the Atlantic Ocean

Gergő Havasi set off from Tenerife with Norbert Ádám Szabó to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The duo plan to break the world record for crossing the ocean, Honvedelem.hu reports.

Gergő Havasi, a military athlete from the Hungarian Defense Forces Sports Squadron, and his partner plan to take turns every three hours to cover the 5,200-kilometer distance between Tenerife (Canary Island) and Antigua (in the Caribbean), in a double coastal rowing boat, without the use of an engine or external assistance.

Havasi, a 29-year-old kayaker, was encouraged to join the expedition three years ago by a fellow athlete, but the man behind the idea has since dropped out of the project. In August, he was joined by Norbert Ádám Szabó, who already has experience in ocean paddling, having sailed the seas for 15 years and crossed the Atlantic Ocean with Levente Kovácsik in 2015.

The Hungarian duo set off on the trip in a boat more than seven meters long and two meters wide, designed and built with the help of Gábor Rakonczay, who set off alone from the Canary Islands two weeks ago, on December 24,

and at his last check-in had covered 636.5 kilometers. This means that two Hungarian units will attempt the ocean crossing at the same time.

The current world record, 40 days 5 hours and 31 minutes, is held by a New Zealand duo, from La Gomera (Canary Islands) to Barbados.

You can follow where the boat is sailing on Gergő Havasi’s Facebook page.

Extreme Sports Athlete Gábor Rakonczay Prepares for His Last Expedition