Frenchman crosses Channel on ‘Flyboard’

A French daredevil who spent years developing a jet-powered hoverboard zoomed across the English Channel on Sunday, fulfilling his quest after pulling off a tricky refuelling manoeuvre that cut short his first attempt 10 days ago.

Franky Zapata blasted off on his “Flyboard” from Sangatte on the northern coast of France at 8:17 am (11:47 am IST) for the 35-kilometre trip to St Margaret’s Bay in Dover.

Escorted by three helicopters, he glided across the water in the early morning light and landed 22 minutes later in the picturesque bay, to the applause of dozens of onlookers and journalists.

“I’m feeling good. I’m feeling happy, I’m feeling lucky. This is just an amazing moment for me,” Zapata said after landing.

He said the indicators in the visor of his helmet showed he raced over the busy shipping lane at a speed of 160-170 km/h, doing zig-zags as he neared the coast to try to ease the fatigue in his legs.

“It’s an isometric exercise for the thighs, so it burns -- it’s quite hard. But you recover quickly, it’s not like riding a bicycle,” he said. Minutes after descending from the metal platform where he landed his craft, Zapata had broken down in tears of emotion while talking on the phone to his son, who could be heard saying, “Dad, you’re the best!”

Zapata, a 40-year-old former jet-ski champion, made his first attempt on July 25, to coincide with the 110th anniversary of Louis Bleriot’s historic first crossing of the Channel by plane.

But the bid was cut short when he tumbled into the water after failing to land on a boat to refuel -- his backpack carries some 35 kilogrammes of kerosene, enough to keep him aloft for around 10 minutes.

Asked if he considered himself Bleriot’s successor, Zapata told BFM television: “It’s not really comparable, he was one of the first men to fly.” “Let’s just say that I achieved my dream.” This time the refuelling boat was bigger and had a larger landing area, and French navy vessels in the area kept an eye out in case of trouble. Zapata’s team had been racing to repair the hoverboard and its five turbines after it was damaged from falling in the Channel waters 10 days ago.

The main uncertainty this time around, Zapata had warned, was that his craft might end up having “a little problem.” But he said on Sunday that his team worked around the clock since the failed attempt ten days ago, spending 15 to 16 hours a day to rebuild the device after it was damaged in the water.

Zapata’s team said he would return to Sangatte — by boat this time — for a press conference at the city hall. Zapata has been developing his hoverboard for the past three years, despite losing two fingers during its maiden flight in his garage near Marseille, when they got sucked into the turbines.