A French paddler and a firefighter by profession named Nicolas Jarossay, 38 years old, wants to be the first person to ever cross the Atlantic Ocean using a stand up paddle board. Jarossay has been planning this extreme expedition for two years and he wants to make an attempt for that title on January 2016. As of now, he is already making his final preparations before he goes and paddles his way across the Atlantic Ocean alone and unsupported.
Jarossay is from Carro where he is already known as a marathon paddler. This bold and courageous transatlantic expedition is expected to last for 60 to 75 days and this journey will cover about 2, 500 miles or 4, 500 kilometers. Jarossay plans on setting this off by crossing from Cape Verde, which is off the North West coast of Africa. He will then make his way to the Caribbean by the French Island of Martinique.
This entire adventure that Jarossay has been aiming to do doesn’t come cheap. His specialized equipment, food, travel, the construction of the Stand Up Paddle Board he will be using and a lot of other things necessary for this trip cost him approximately €110, 000. This voyage is made possible through the financial help provided to him by his partnership with Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
A custom-made stand up paddle board made by Jarossay himself will help him cross the Atlantic and make history. It was specially designed to withstand the different elements and circumstances that he will meet along the way. The paddle board was also designed to be his shelter and storage. The board is equipped with a dual purpose watertight compartment; it will be used as storage for technical equipment and food and it will also serve as a shelter or resting space for him. The said compartment will be composed of 40 kilograms of technical equipment, two hand pumps that he will use to desalinate ocean water and 80 kilograms of food that he will ration.
Jarossay ‘s food supply for this expedition will be composed only of freeze-dried food. He will also bring two water filters that he will use to desalinate the ocean water to turn it into portable fresh water. Jarossay also plans on taking three rest stops a day; he will have one in the morning, at noon and another one at night. The paddle board that will be used in this journey will be packed with navigation equipment and security systems which include locator beacons, a GPS, a survival suit and a lot more to ensure his safety.
Although the French paddler will be all alone in this transatlantic expedition, he will have an inland support system which includes a medical team from Ste Marguerite Hospital in Marseilles headed by Dr. Coulange. His team specializes in underwater and hyperbaric physiology and they have been helping Jarossay prepare for sea survival. Patrick Favre will also support him on land, he will contact Nicolas Jarossay daily, guide him, update him with the weather and help him in choosing which course or direction to steer his paddle board to.
But the Frenchman firefighter is not the only one who wants to complete this transatlantic crossing using a SUP board. A South African named Chris Bertish has also been planning to paddle his way across the Atlantic and etch his name in history. Bertish was also hoping to be the first man to complete the journey across the Atlantic. However, his expedition will not begin until November of next year and will last until April of 2017, so this will give Nicolas Jarossay plenty of time to have his name inked in history books.
Jarossay only has less than a month before his expedition ALONE across an open ocean where a lot of things can go wrong, but he looks quite ready for his upcoming journey and his shot at making history. Does he have what it takes to make it? Will he survive this wild yet memorable ride? I guess we’ll find out in 100 days or so. As of now, let’s all wish Nicolas Jarossay the best of luck.
If you want to follow Nicolas and his journey you can check out his Facebook where he posts updates about his journey.
SupBoardGuide Editorial Team
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