Gustavo Mateus Portugal
Gustavo is part-owner of Searibs from Portugal.
He will support the expedition as a helmsman on one of the boats.
He has several years of boating experience and knows the support vessels inside-out.

Simon Everett England
Simon is a UK Journalist and Photographer.
As an expert helmsman for ribs he will be piloting the second boat.
His experience in extraordinary conditions is of vital importance for this expedition.

Christian Ktomi England
Christian is the youngest member of the team.
He works for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute in the UK.
With his knowledge of outboard engines, he serves not only as helmsman, but also as the team’s mechanic.

Michael Kerbel United States
Michael is the owner of Tender International LLC in Florida and imports boats of the Searibs brand among others.
Beside his experience in boating, he has also been kitesurfing for several years and so provides a very important link between the safety crew and the kitesurfers.
Mickey also played an important role in the preparation of the boats by supporting Geza in dealing with the Customs in the USA.

Yair Nir Israel
Yair is an experienced seaman from Israel, who has also served in the Navy and has a thorough knowledge of weather systems.

Aida Sylla Balagat Spain
Aida is the only woman in the Crew.
She graduated from the Technical Nautical School in the Canary Islands and was the first to sign up for this adventure.

Camera

Björn Detre Switzerland
Björn is the team camaraman.
He is the only crew member that has also participated in last year’s expedition. He is familiar with the locals and knows where to find what.

Searibs is a well established producer of performance crafts in Portugal. This year, it is supporting the Maurice Lacroix Bering Strait Expedition by providing two boats.

The boats are very important for the safety of the kiteboarders and crew during the expedition. The two robust inflatable boats are 7.6 meters and 8.6 meters long and have a center console, a pilot’s seat and a navigator’s seat. They are equipped with Yamaha engines and have deep hulls. Searibs decided on this design due to the difficult conditions in the Bering Strait – wild water, freezing temperatures and strong wind require the right equipment.

The boats were shipped beginning of May form Lisbon, Portugal, by boat to Seattle and then to Anchorage. The kiteboarders will pick up the boats there to continue the journey to the base camp of the expedition in Teller.