A British man and his son have made history by becoming the first people to cross the English Channel on eFoil boards.

Rob Wylie, 51, and his 19-year-old son Morgan are new world record holders after becoming the first people to cross 23 miles across the English Channel on eFoil boards, in a time of one hour and 44 minutes.

The eFoil board, created by Australian company Fliteboard, is an electric powered hydrofoil board that can travel up to speeds of 20mph whilst hovering 3ft above the water. The Fliteboard technology is fairly new, with the first commercial board being produced just two years ago.

The trip began from Cap Griz Nez in France, and started off a bit rocky, having to dodge masses of seaweed and fishing equipment. They were joined by a professional support crew from OTS Watersports, the first authorised Fliteschool in the UK.

Rob and Morgan were able to make their trip with just one single battery charge, although Rob cut it close, arriving onto the shore of Folkestone, Kent, with just 4% battery remaining!

Rob, Morgan and their team put in weeks of training before making the attempt. They contacted Guinness World Records who informed them they would be creating a new record if they just completed the challenge.

Rob, who lives in Sandbanks in Poole, Dorset, said: “Ever since I first experienced riding on a Fliteboard I was hooked, as I knew this was going to be the next generation of watersports. I was so impressed that I invested in the company to join the Fliteboard story and support building awareness around the product and the eFoiling as a whole. The Channel crossing has not only set a new world record, but also proves how advanced Fliteboard’s technology is that we successfully made the crossing on one single battery charge.”

So, if watersports are your thing, make sure you try out Fliteboarding this summer!