Kitesurfer ready to sail into record books (From Daily Echo)

Kitesurfer ready to sail into record books

12:23pm Thursday 7th May 2009 in Sport By Will Carson

A HAMPSHIRE man is preparing to sail into the record books as the first person to kitesurf across the world’s busiest shipping lane and back again.

Ashley Overton will face huge seas, extreme fatigue and speeds of up to 35mph as he attempts the marathon attempt to cross the English Channel.

Along with his friend Rob Ward, the 44-year-old will sail 75 miles across the Channel in May to raise £20,000 for Hampshire-based charity Champion Behaviours, which delivers motivational workshops and programmes to youngsters in danger of exclusion from school and society.

Ashley, a sales director at Hamble-based Ancasta International Boat Sales, started kitesurfing five years ago with the ultimate goal of speed racing across the Channel.

He and Rob will set sail from Poole on Saturday and will aim to reach the French shores of Cherbourg in under two-and-a-half hours.

They will then turn around and return straight to Poole to become the first people to achieve a crossing of this kind.