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Finishing on a high

Alex Luther and the Chasing Canguro team are celebrating their incredible Mediterranean marathon, which just finished in Cervia, Italy.

10 July 2018

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On Thursday evening Alex reached his objective to waterski from Tangiers, Morocco, tracking the Spanish, French, Monaco and Italian coasts to Pula, Croatia in the same number of days as it took his grandfather Harry Luther in 1970.

“It feels surreal, I feel like I have been in a dream that started over seven years ago”, said an elated Alex Luther.

Thanks to advances in marine technology,  Alex was able to offset the rough sea conditions and adverse weather that slowed him down and threatened to ruin the attempt, by making last minute decisions to go more offshore and make a number of point-to-point leaps around the Mediterranean coast, which is something Harry (his Grandfather), would never have been able to do back in 1970.

Increased fuel capacity, performance of hull, engine compatibility and use of radar meant that the team could be on the water for longer and operate more safely through fog. And there was always plenty of fog.

In the end, he skied a total of 3,571.8 kilometres from Tangiers to Pula in 10 days, equaling his grandfather’s record, then added an additional 127.5km on Saturday 7th July by making a final trip from Pula across the Adriatic sea to Cervia, commemorating the race that first brought Harry to Italy in 1969.

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As he arrived into Cervia he was met with a fully-deserved hero’s welcome and now finally has a chance to pause and reflect on his achievement.

The marathon’s full 3,699.3 km included a staggering 11-hour stint, covering 558km in just one leg through rough conditions on day 4, from Barcelona to Monaco.

Jan-Erik Viitala from Axopar Boats said, “Axopar Boats would like to congratulate Alex and the devoted Chasing Canguro team on their amazing achievement. We would like to commend Alex on his strength and determination throughout the challenge, which is all the more impressive since he only began waterskiing 5 years ago specifically to undertake this quest.

“We are extremely happy that we were able to support the team by providing a boat as strong as Alex himself is, which we were fully confident would keep him and his crew safe in all conditions, remaining reliable and problem-free throughout the long journey. We wish Alex every success for the future and hope that we have an opportunity to join him again in his future adventures.”

chasingcanguro.com.au

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