Frenchman to retry 'flyboard' trip across English Channel
Posted July 31, 2019 7:00 am
PARIS (AP) - A French inventor will try again to traverse the English Channel on a flying board after his first attempt failed halfway.
Franky Zapata's wife, Christele, said Wednesday that he will retry the 36-kilometer (22.4-mile) journey Sunday from the French town of Sangatte to the area near Dover.
Last week, on his first attempt, Zapata crashed into a refueling boat 20 kilometers (12 miles) into the trip. This time, his wife said he will use a larger boat for the refueling stop in hopes of making landing easier.
He had to build a new board, a customized version of the Flyboard his company sells for watersports. The engine is fueled by kerosene he carries in a backpack, his feet fastened to the board.
FILE - In this Wednesday July 24, 2019 file photo Franky Zapata, performs a training flight over the Saint Inglevert airport near Calais, Northern France. French inventor, Zapata, will try again to traverse the English Channel on a flying board after his first attempt last week failed halfway. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler, File)
The Associated Press
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