12-year-old Tom Goron crossed the English Channel in a training boat

12-year-old Frenchman Tom Goron set a new record by crossing the English Channel in the Optimist children's training boat.

12-year-old Tom Goron crossed the English Channel in a training boat

Tom Goron departed the Isle of Wight at 5 a.m. local time and arrived in France 14 hours and 20 minutes later, breaking the previous record set by the 15-year-old Violette Dorange in 2016, by 36 minutes.

Tom Goron says he hoped to follow in the footsteps of famous French sailors. While crossing the English Channel, his father followed him a short distance in case something went wrong. And after he completed the transition, his mother said that he was “stubborn, ambitious and persistent,” and that she was very proud of him.

12-year-old Tom Goron crossed the English Channel in a training boat

12-year-old Tom Goron crossed the English Channel in a training boat

Still would! 12-year-old schoolboy made a 60-mile boat trip Optimist with an average speed of more than 4 knots. Moreover, throughout the entire journey Tom suffered from seasickness, and wanted to interrupt the passage after five hours, but his father convinced him to continue.

At the end of the transition, Tom said that he hopes to one day repeat the achievements of the French yachtsman Francois Gabara, who last year set a new solo circumnavigation record in his racing trimaran Macif.

François Gabard set new solo circumnavigation record

12-year-old Tom Goron crossed the English Channel in a training boat

For inspiration, here are some more children's records that every adult will envy:

As for the English Channel ... How about a swim crossing? In 1988, eleven Tom gregory became the youngest swimmer to ever cross the English Channel. He did not stop for 12 hours to reach the goal!

In 2007, the 14-year-old Englishman became the youngest sailor to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo. Michael perham completed a 3,500 mile trek on his yacht Cheeky Monkey. He broke the previous record set in 2003 by a 15-year-old Seb clover... At the age of 17, he became the youngest sailor to sail solo around the world after an excruciating struggle with giant waves, stormy winds and technical problems during a 30,000-mile voyage.

The glory did not last long, and soon, in 2012, a Dutch schoolgirl took his title Laura Decker, who completed the circumnavigation at the age of 16 after a lengthy legal battle over whether she would be allowed to make that very circumnavigation. Laura is a completely separate conversation. Read her interview: