MAN TO SWIM ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN

A Texas man will attempt to become the first person to swim across the Pacific Ocean next year, after almost five years of setbacks. Benoit Lecomte, 49, says he will set off from Tokyo in April 2017 and – conditions and sharks willing – arrive in San Francisco five to six months later. He hopes the swim will raise awareness of environmental issues. It is the third time in five years that Lecomte has announced he plans to swim the Pacific. He was originally due to begin the quest in May 2013. After that attempt was foiled, he announced that he would begin the swim in December 2015. This time he is confident his attempt will go ahead. “The main issue has always been the boat,” Lecomte said. He abandoned plans to use one vessel after the captain had a heart attack. Another boat was deemed unsuitable when it turned out the boat was a unique build, with no blueprints available should anything go wrong at sea. But this time … oh, this time will be different, Lecomte said. He has purchased a boat, the Discoverer, that has been previously used in the Global Challenge, a round-the-world-yacht race. He is confident in its seaworthiness. “We won’t have any issues with the owner and the skipper is in our team,” Lecomte said. In 1998 Lecomte became the first person to swim the Atlantic Ocean, completing the 3,700-mile swim in 73 days. For this challenge, Lecomte will need to swim 5,500 miles to make it to San Francisco. He will swim for an average of eight hours a day, resting and eating on the Discoverer.
* And peeing in the ocean.
* This’ll happen when that crazy doctor does a head transplant.
* He better succeed, otherwise how will the world ever hear about environmental issues?
* Don’t tell him, but the team is planning to make him swim faster by having him be followed by a swimming clown.
* He’ll need 73 days to do the swim, and 8 more months to get rid of his pruny fingers.
* See if you can’t get that whale that helped Tom Hanks in “Cast Away” to help you, too.
* The swim will raise awareness in mental health issues.
* Or at least he’s crazy to try this.
* Why don’t you tell us about your swim when you get back?
* Otherwise this is just Year 6 of the plan not working.
* Now the craziest part: He’s doing it to meet mermaids.