True to form, Chris has decided to slot in setting a new record to raise funds for the Lunchbox Fund, in-between attending international movie festivals, surfing in the Titans of Mavericks Big Wave event and the planning of his mammoth new project that will take place towards the end of the year.
Chris is aiming to sail 120km in less than 14hrs in a specialised, custom-modified Hobie Dragoon, catamaran, which is less than 14ft long (smaller than his normal, downwind Stand up paddle board), with absolutely no support craft at all!
“I’m really excited about this Record Attempt, as I’ve been sailing all my life and working on this Sailing project for years now. Its actually a Proof of Concept for a far bigger version of this project, which I’ve been working towards, which will happen in 2020, so this is the tester, on a smaller scale.
I’m so looking forward to this, its been a dream of mine for a while now and by doing this massive distance, solo, sailing from the Indian Ocean, around Cape Point and up into the Atlantic Ocean, I’m following in my father’s old footsteps, sailing on a small catamaran, while raising money for and paying for children’s lunchboxes at schools nationally, through the Lunchbox Fund & inspire kids to dream big, which is really important to me and makes me very proud.”
Chris plans to set sail, in the early hours of Friday morning, the 4th of March, from Gordon’s Bay, sailing across the whole of False Bay, over 42km, then around Cape Point and then finally finishing close to the V&A Waterfront on Friday night.
If this wasn’t enough for one day, setting a new record, sailing his tiny catamaran 14 hours straight around Cape Point, he has mentioned that if the going goes well and both he and his craft are still in one piece after 14hours of non stop, solo sailing, he may continue on, after this and try to complete a monumental 230km, in just under 40hrs, finishing in Langebaan, on Saturday night, which will be another world first and another record for Chris Bertish.
The record attempt was inspired by Chris’s late father, Keith, who was the first person to build a catamaran in South Africa. Keith, then tried to enter his catamaran into the Gordon’s Bay to Simonstown yacht race in the 1960’s and was banned by race organisers as his “funny” little craft was deemed to be unsafe. Keith refused to take no for an answer, a personality trait Chris inherited and 30mins after the race began, Keith set off on the same route and beat all the competitors to the finish line!
Chris hopes to do his dad proud, whilst at the same time raising funds for the Lunchbox Fund, to help feed less fortunate school children around South Africa.
To help raise these funds please SMS “FeedAChild” to 40131 (SMS costs R20).
