The Odyssey of Three French Paddleboarders and a Message in a Bottle

Imagine this:

Night in the North Atlantic ocean. Black blue so dark, deep, and boundless you wouldn’t know which way is up if not for the stars exploding out of the unthinkable black canopy above you. The water frigid, the waves relentless.

You are on a paddleboard 50 centimeters wide, over a thousand miles from land. You started paddling off the coast of Canada, pointed toward France. With two teammates, you trade off paddling for two hours at a time, and you never get more than an hour or two of sleep between shifts. Your goal: Cross the Atlantic ocean using nothing but the power of your arms, and the board. After more than three weeks of nonstop paddling, you are only halfway there… Continue reading →