French-born swimmer Ben Lecomte has set off on a 5,500-mile record attempt to swim across the Pacific Ocean from Japan to California. The 51-year-old professional distance swimmer will swim for eight hours a day for more than six months as he heads towards the US west coast. If he succeeds in his attempt, Lecomte will be the first person to swim across the Pacific.
The BBC reports: Preparations for the trip have taken more than six years, but Mr. Lecomte has been targeting the challenge for much longer.
In 1998, he made the first known solo trans-Atlantic swim covering 6,400km (4,000 miles) in 73 days. When he finally reached dry land in France, his first words were “never again”, but he was soon looking for a new challenge.
After each day’s swim, Lecomte will eat and sleep aboard a support boat. Lecomte is to be accompanied by a crew and is going to be performing a “staged swim” (resuming the swim in the exact location in which he left the water) using a GPS tracking device, enabling him to accurately track the number of miles he completes thus enabling him to reach a new world record in open water swimming. Lecomte plans to average about 40 mi (64 km) a day, swimming eight hours with the help of the current.
THE LONGEST SWIM across the Pacific Ocean
Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.
I’m thinking that a temperature controlled high dynamic range wave pool with a bedroom, kitchen etc. just adjacent would be far more efficient. Do 5,900 miles of laps and the accomplishment would be the same.
Then, next year, turn all the knobs up/down a notch to “more extreme” and do it again. Simulate swimming ’round the Southern Ocean; anything less is wimpy.
Swim fron South Pacific to the North Pacfic.
If the animals dont get you the distance and temps will.