BUENOS-AIRES, August 2 (RIA Novosti) - Benjamin Friberg from the United States hopes to be the first to stand-up paddleboard from Cuba to US state of Florida after he set off from the port of Marina Hemingway on Thursday, local media reported.
The 35-year-old musician from Tennessee left the port in Cuba around noon local time and plans to cover the distance of some 110 miles within 24 hours to reach Key West in Florida sometime on Friday.
Before leaving the port, Friberg told journalists that he dedicated his journey to peace, love and friendship between Cuba and the United States.
The American, who trained for this journey for the past 12 months, is accompanied by a support team, which includes his father Bob, a doctor and several sailors.
The journey from Cuba to Florida is not the first long-distance paddleboarding venture for Friberg as last year he set a world record after he paddled 238 miles down the Yukon River in Canada.
U.S.-Cuba relations have been sour since the 1959 Cuban communist revolution. US President Barack Obama has repeatedly voiced the intention to improve relations with Cuba.
