French Couple Plans Three-Month Relay Swim Across the Atlantic

A French couple is training in the Mediterranean as they prepare for a record-breaking three-month relay swim across the Atlantic.

Mathieu Witvoet and Chloé Leger Witvoet plan to set off on November 1 from Cape Verde, off the coast of Africa, and cover 3,800 kilometers (2,360 miles) to reach the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.

The pair will swim in alternating six-hour shifts each day, attempting to set records for the longest ocean crossing by a woman and the longest relay swim “with drifting”—meaning the catamaran where they rest at night will drift with the current, adding to the total distance covered.

“This is ultra-swimming, and it’s what we love to do,” Leger said.

The couple is no stranger to endurance feats. In 2019, they swam the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco; in 2021, they swam the Seine River from Paris to Deauville; and in 2023, they completed a swim from Marseille to Barcelona.

Crossing the Atlantic, however, is a challenge on an entirely different scale. Water temperatures are expected to hover around 23°C (73°F). The couple has spent the past two years preparing and refining their technique to minimize the risk of injury.

“This summer, we spent a lot of time in the water—about three to four hours a day,” Leger explained. “Our bodies are now really accustomed to swimming for that long each day.”

Their catamaran will carry a support team of four, including a nurse.

Beyond the physical challenge, their mission is to raise awareness about ocean conservation. They have created an educational kit that has already attracted registrations from more than 63,000 schoolchildren.

Students and teachers will receive weekly lesson plans on topics such as biodiversity and pollution, while tracking the couple’s progress across the Atlantic.

“If we fail the physical challenge but succeed in raising awareness, that will be a far greater achievement than completing the swim but failing to engage people,” Leger said.