Cyril Derreumaux is a man who has spent much of his 44 years seeking adventure. A lifelong traveler and ultra endurance athlete, his accomplishments go far beyond the typical weekend warrior.
French-born Cyril’s first big adventure was at age 25 when he picked up a backpack and hiked around the world. Since then, he’s lived in France, Spain, England, Italy, Argentina, Brazil, and has made the U.S. his home for the the past 14 years after becoming a U.S. citizen. Along the way, he became fluent in 5 languages and discovered a passion for extreme outdoor challenges.
His resumé of accomplishments is indeed impressive. Cyril completed the Catalina Outrigger Challenge 4 times, last completing the 32-mile race in 5 hours. He also competed in the 43-mile Molokai Hoe Outrigger Championships in Hawaii four times. In 2012, he completed the Yukon River Quest in Canada – a 440 mile canoe race that he completed in 45 hours, and in 2014 he completed the Cal100, a 100 mile canoe race in California in 12 hours. Most recently, Cyril won a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for rowing from Monterey, California to Honolulu, Hawaii with a four-person international team, covering the 2,400 miles in 39 days with no support or assistance.
Cyril Derreumaux in Sausalito, CA with his custom-built kayak “Valentine”
But that’s nothing compared to what Cyril is doing next.
Cyril is now packing his custom-built kayak and leaving Sausalito completely alone on a solo, unsupported, completely self-powered trip 2,400 miles across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. He’ll pass under the Golden Gate Bridge early Sunday morning, May 30, 2021 and plans to land in Waikiki, Hawaii 70 days later, traveling between 40 and 60 miles across the ocean each day.
He will pack 200 pounds of food into his 23-foot kayak – mostly freeze-dried meals, high protein smoothies, and energy bars – with a goal of consuming 6,000 calories a day (about 2,000 calories less than he will actually need – he anticipates losing about 25 pounds during the trip). An onboard desalinator unit will provide him with fresh drinking water, and solar panels mounted across the top of the kayak will charge lithium batteries to keep all of his electronics powered. A cache of GPS units, VHF radios, cameras, chargers, and a satellite phone will keep him on course and in touch with friends and family back home.
“I have this phone and cost is not cheap. It’s about a dollar a minute, but I’ve calculated about 10 minutes a day, so if I don’t speak for one day, then next day I have 20 minutes” Cyril explained.
Cyril can also upload photos and videos, if the conditions cooperate.
“It takes about an hour to send a one minute video in low definition, so it has to be day clear like this. If it’s cloudy, it’s going to take two, three hours, and with my boat it’s pretty hard to stay still for two hours. I have to hold the (antenna) towards the satellites, otherwise I lose connection. It’s not easy, I’ll try to send as much as I can.”
Two iPhones filled with podcasts, e-books, music and movies will also help break the boredom. “I’m bringing all the seasons of ‘Seinfeld,’” Cyril told us.
Cyril shares the features of his boat with visitors in Sausalito on May 18.
Aside from the essential supplies onboard necessary to sustain him, Cyril will be completely on his own, at the mercy of the Pacific. The most difficult part, he says, will be the beginning of the trip.
“The beginning is definitely going to be the hardest, because I might get seasick. I am usually seasick for three, four days, even though I put on the (Scopolamine) patch. I’ve got to get used to the confinement, and get used to different conditions that I haven’t trained into. I have to get used to sleeping onboard and waking up every hour, so there’s sleep deprivation. There’s going to be change of food and diet.”
Cyril has the benefit of experience when it comes to living on the water for weeks on end, but it’s not only the physical conditioning that will come into play.
“Mentally, you’ve got to be strong. A big challenge for me is to manage being alone, because I like to share things. Like if you see a sunset, with your loved one, it’s so beautiful, you share it. Being alone, I don’t enjoy it that much, so for me it’s going to be so tough to be alone on the boat.”
Cyril chose this time of year due largely due to the weather and sea conditions typical of May through August.
“The days are longer, so you can paddle longer, but then the winds are favorable. The first 350 miles, it’s going to push me south towards the south, Mexico, but as I make my way west, the wind shifts and I catch the trade winds. Those are favorable, that’ll push me towards Hawaii.”
Close Quarters: Cyril demonstrates a radio call from inside the cabin
Valentine
Cyril’s custom-built ocean kayak (named “Valentine” after his sister) was designed specifically for this trip. The boat weighs about 400 pounds (not including 300+ pounds of provisions) and is built with natural cork with two layers of carbon fiber over it. It was hand-built by English boat builders Rob Feloy and Ginge Murphy, and features a small cabin with a watertight door that he can squeeze into to sleep and to ride out any storms he encounters. The boat will self-right if it capsizes.
Cyril will propel himself with an 87-inch-long paddle as well as a pair of special flippers mounted to the hull, powered by foot pedals. This setup will not only help propel him more efficiently, it will also help with preventing atrophy in his leg muscles – one potential consequence of sitting in a chair for 70 days straight.
If he finishes, Cyril will be only the second self-propelled paddler to achieve this feat. In 1987, Ed Gillet completed the first solo kayak from Monterey, CA, to Maui in an off-the-shelf Tofino double kayak (Gillet’s story is recounted in the book “The Pacific Alone“). Aided at times with a parasol kite, Gillet made the trek in 63 days – 19 days longer than planned. He ran out of food, had numerous equipment failures, and his family had given up hope by the time he landed. His subsisted on toothpaste during his final days on the water.
“Ed Gillet is a legend, I’ll never beat him. He was the first to do it” notes Cyril.
Cyril Derreumaux demonstrates paddling in the San Francisco Bay one week prior to his departure
Greater Causes
A part of Cyril’s mission is to raise awareness of the Sausalito-based nonprofit Ocean Voyages Institute, which focuses on developing advanced technologies to rid the oceans of plastic. “I’m tired of any kind of trash in our oceans”, Cyril noted. He’s also a strong supporter of Rivers for Change, a nonprofit made up of a passionate group of river enthusiasts dedicated to changing the way people think about and interact with water.
Setting a Record
Interestingly, setting a new record isn’t what motivates Cyril the most.
“I’m doing it for adventure and to live life to the fullest. A lot of people try to find a happiness. What’s happiness? How did you find happiness? Is it bigger car, bigger house, more traveling, not working, bigger work, better title? Remember the last time you were with friends, you had a blast, that’s great, that’s vibration. Or even with your kid, looking at him, doing his first bicycle ride, that’s vibration. I’m just chasing my vibration and slowly it led me to doing this, living a life of adventure.”
“A friend of mine told me, “Look, you’re 44 years old. You’re going to live another 40 years after that, these crossings are going to take two months. Two months is a long time when you’re in there, but it’s nothing compared to your life, and those two months are going to define the next 40 years of how you to live your life. For me, those two months, it’s the best investments for the next 40 years.”
The route Cyril will follow on his way to Hawaii. His tracker will update his position every hour and his progress can be seen on his website
Tracking the Valentine
Cyril will be departing from Sausalito, California early on the morning of May 30, 2021. He will be carrying a satellite tracker so anyone can watch his progress and will be updated hourly on his website SoloKayaktoHawaii.com. You can also follow him on Facebook and Instagram, where he will be sharing updates during his trip.
Words & Photos by Chris Constantine
