Gábor Rakonczay

Gábor Rakonczay is a prominent Hungarian extreme athlete and two-time Guinness World Record holder. In March 2025, he completed his final major solo expedition, a trans-Atlantic crossing that marked the end of an 18-year career in extreme sports.

The 2025 Atlantic Crossing

Rakonczay completed this journey in 75 days and 10 hours, reaching Antigua on March 8, 2025.

Route: He departed from La Palma in the Canary Islands on December 23, 2024, covering approximately 5,123 kilometers (3,183 miles).

The Vessel: He used a specialized ocean-going canoe named "42". The boat was originally designed by Nándor Fa but was extensively rebuilt by Rakonczay with a new cabin, steering system, and updated technical equipment.

The "Canoe" Distinction: While similar in appearance to an ocean kayak, the journey is officially classified as a canoe crossing because Rakonczay used a single-bladed paddle rather than the double-bladed paddle used in kayaking. He is the only person in the world to have canoed across the ocean.

Conditions: The final days of the trip were particularly grueling due to physical fatigue, a broken thumb, and the depletion of his food stores.

Career Milestones and Background

Rakonczay’s career is defined by several world-firsts and high-endurance achievements:

Ocean Crossings: He has crossed the Atlantic six times in total—four times by sailboat and twice by canoe (2012 and 2025).

Polar Expeditions: He was the first Hungarian to reach the South Pole from the edge of the Antarctic continent (a 44-day, 917 km trek). He has also crossed the Greenland ice cap twice.

Ultra-Running: He is a world champion in ultra-marathons, notably winning a 2023 competition in Italy by running 848.5 kilometers.

SUP Attempts: In 2020 and 2021, he attempted to cross the Atlantic on a Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP) without a cabin, but both attempts were thwarted by mechanical issues or extreme sleep deprivation and hypothermia requiring rescue.

Following his 2025 arrival in Antigua, the 44-year-old athlete announced his retirement from high-risk extreme adventures, stating he intends to focus on ultra-running and projects that emphasize "living every moment" rather than chasing records.

Gábor Rakonczay's most recent and final ocean voyage (concluding in March 2025) was performed in a highly customized vessel named "42". While technically a canoe because he uses a single-bladed paddle, the boat is a masterpiece of maritime engineering designed to survive 10-meter swells and total capsizing.

The Vessel: "42" (The Ocean Canoe)

The boat was originally designed and built by the legendary Hungarian yacht designer Nándor Fa (famous for the Vendée Globe). However, for the 2025 crossing, Rakonczay spent months rebuilding it based on his harrowing 2012 experience.

Key Technical Upgrades

• The Survival Cabin: Unlike a standard canoe, "42" features a tiny, watertight sleeping cabin. If the boat flips, the air trapped in the cabin (and the weighted keel) helps the boat self-right (pop back up).

• Desalination: It carries a Katadyn manual and electric water maker to turn seawater into drinking water.

• Power: The deck is lined with flexible solar panels that charge batteries for his satellite phone, GPS, and VHF radio.

• Custom Keel: A "capital weight" of 30 kg was added to the bottom to ensure the center of gravity remains low, preventing the boat from staying upside down in a storm.

The 2025 Journey: A "Grand Finale"

Rakonczay reached Antigua on March 8, 2025, after 75 days and 10 hours at sea. This trip was shorter than his 2012 crossing (which took 77 days) but was plagued by more physical injuries.

• The Broken Thumb: Mid-way through the crossing, he suffered a broken thumb. Because a canoe requires a "J-stroke" or constant prying with a single blade, this made every single movement agonizing for the final 30 days.

• Starvation Mode: Due to unexpected weather delays leaving the Canary Islands, his food stores ran out in the final week. He arrived in Antigua significantly underweight and exhausted.

• The "Canoe" World Record: By using a single-bladed paddle, he remains the only person in history to have successfully crossed an ocean in a canoe (most others use double-bladed kayak paddles or oars).

Why "42"?

The name is a nod to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, representing the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything." For Rakonczay, the ocean was the place where he found that clarity.