Five Siberians cross Indian Ocean on inflatable catamaran

20 February, 2007, 11:43

A group of Russian adventurers have returned home after crossing the Indian Ocean in an inflatable catamaran. The five Siberians from the city of Novosibirsk spent 59 days on the open sea.

They became the first sailors to cross the Indian Ocean in an inflatable catamaran after covering more than seven thousand kilometers.  The group started from the United Arabic Emirates and finished in Thailand.

The men have never sailed on the ocean before, having only been on Lake Baikal, the Black Sea and several mountain rivers.

Many people doubted if it was even possible they'd survive, but these adventurers have managed to prove all the skeptics wrong.

“The task we put in front of ourselves turned to be really difficult. But we – 5 men with an average age of 53 – have accomplished it,” says Anatoly Kulik, expedition commander.

The sailors had at their disposal only the catamaran, navigational equipment, a notebook, 150 litters of fresh water, some food and a tent. It was all they needed.