Branson in new kite-surf record bid

Richard Branson today embarked on a fresh bid to set two world records by kite-surfing across the English Channel – 24 hours after being forced to abort his initial bid.

The 61-year-old Virgin tycoon hopes to become the oldest person to cross the Channel by kite-surf and also break the record set by his son Sam only yesterday for the fastest kite-surf crossing.

Branson joined Sam and other family members and friends in setting off from Wimereux in northern France with the aim of making the 30-mile journey to the Kent coast in around two and a half hours yesterday.

But as he was half-way across, Branson, who turns 62 next month, realised his kite was too small and he had to turn back to France, but when he got there he found no larger kites.

There was joy, however, for his son who reached Folkestone in two hours and 18 minutes, shaving 12 minutes off the previous record for the fastest cross-Channel kite-surf which was set in 1999.

Sam and the eight others who finished also entered the record books as the fastest group of kite-surfers to make the Channel crossing, for which there was no previous record.

This afternoon Branson set off on his renewed cross-Channel record bid from Dymchurch in Kent and aims to cross over to Wissant in France, beating his son’s time.

Speaking on Dymchurch beach before he left, he said: “As it is, Sam is the world record holder and Dad has told him he is going to give him a run for his money.

“We will see how it goes but my main aim is just to get across and if I get match Sam’s record I’ll be absolutely delighted.

“We’ve always got some exciting challenges at Virgin. We are building a submarine to attempt to go to the deepest place in the Atlantic and our spaceship programme is close to launch.

“I love these personal challenges and the technological challenges as well.”

Yesterday was a further disappointment for Branson as he had to abandon an attempt at setting the same records two years ago to celebrate his 60th birthday.

He is no stranger to record attempts. In 1987, his hot air balloon Virgin Atlantic Flyer crossed the Atlantic, setting the record as the first balloon to do so.

In January 1991, he was in the first balloon to cross the Pacific from Japan to Arctic Canada in a journey that amounted to 6,700 miles.

And from 1995 to 1998, Branson, Per Lindstrand and Steve Fossett made attempts to circumnavigate the globe by balloon.

Kite-surfing, or kite-boarding as it is also known, is a water sport in which the rider is pulled through the waves on a surfboard, propelled by a large controllable kite.

Branson has described it as one of his favourite sports.

He said today: “Kite-surfing is great fun. I’ve been doing it almost since the sport began and I’ve done some quite good adventures with kite-surfing.

“I absolutely love the sport. It’s great that people my age can do it and even take on their children.”

Branson and his team are the latest in a long line of daredevils to attempt journeys across the English Channel.

Trained pilot Jonathan Trappe was successful in May 2010 when he was strapped to a wicker chair carried by a cloud of colourful helium balloons.

In the same year, television presenter Christine Bleakley crossed the Channel on water skis in one hour, 40 minutes in aid of Sport Relief, despite being afraid of water.

And “Birdman” Yves Rossy blasted into the record books on a cross-Channel flight with a jet-propelled wing on his back in 2008.

He parachuted into an English field 22 miles from Calais 13 minutes after take-off, flying at up to 125mph after jumping from a plane 8,200ft above France.