A Russian kitesurfing team will attempt in the coming days a crossing between Cape San Antonio, in Cuba’s westernmost tip, and the Mexican resort of Cancun.
The details emerged this Monday during a meeting of its protagonists with the press at the Sports City Coliseum, where they expressed their satisfaction for realizing a dream postponed for more than a year.
“In February 2022 we wanted to make the route between the Florida Keys and Cuba, but the U.S. authorities did not grant permission. So we were preparing for the conditions we would encounter at sea,” said Vladimir Popov, president of the Russian tourism company Sodis.
This entity, sponsor of the event, is working together with the Cuban Ministry of Tourism and Cubadeportes S.A.
According to what they said, they expect to cover a route of more than 200 kilometers in a time of 12 to 14 hours.
“It will depend a lot on the weather conditions, the wind, the height of the waves, but we are very excited about what we are going to undertake,” Popov said during the presentation.
He also referred to previous records, such as the 2011 crossing between Russia’s Chukutka Peninsula and the U.S. territory of Alaska. Then they covered 175 kilometers in seven and a half hours, accompanied by temperatures between one and two degrees Celsius.
Konstantin Aksenov, captain of the team, assured that they are living a longed-for experience and that they have set out to complete the journey to motivate others to undertake adventures like this in the future.
Arriving only a few hours ago to the island, the Russian team is still adapting to the time difference and this Tuesday morning will test the Caribbean waters for the first time during a training session at Santa Maria del Mar beach, east of Havana.
The exact day of the crossing has not been defined, but they estimate between February 9 and 12. The decision will be greatly influenced by the behavior of the winds and temperatures during the previous days.
The Russian team will train on Cuban beaches, accompanied by athletes from the island’s team, as confirmed by the national sailing commissioner, Eduardo Rodriguez.
Eddy Carrazana, director of Cubadeportes, assured the press that there are ideal conditions for this type of nautical activity.
He also talked about winter camps that have been convened and urged visitors to become promoters of the benefits of our geography, which they can now enjoy.
The kitesurfing class has recently been included among the sailing modalities and will make its debut in the Olympic program in Paris 2024, another incentive for its practitioners.
