Transport ministry criticises ‘admirable but dangerous’ kitesurf crossing of English Channel

On Saturday, three men successfully crossed the Channel by kite to raise money for a water purification project in Madagascar. The journey, which took them from Zeebrugge to Ramsgate, lasted 4 hours and 45 minutes.

The competent authorities – the FPS Public Health, the Shipping Police, the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre and the FPS Mobility and Transport – had not granted permission for the crossing. This made it particularly dangerous, according to the authorities.

“The Channel is the busiest shipping route in the world. Several ships, as well as the Coast Guard, were therefore surprised by three kitesurfers who suddenly appeared on the shipping route with an escort boat,” a spokesperson for the FPS Mobility said.

“This is a dangerous situation because large cargo ships cannot react quickly. If they have to change course, this can lead to collisions with other ships or infrastructure, such as wind farms.”

Furthermore, the escort boat accompanying the three kitesurfers did not have an identification system that allows ships to see each other and avoid collisions.

“This was a nice and admirable goal,” the ministry said. “But this activity endangered the kitesurfers, passengers on ferries and the crew on cargo ships.”

Anyone wishing to engage in water sports more than 2 nautical miles from the coast must apply for a permit, to limit the risks and allow for a rapid response in emergency situations.