EXPLORER David Hempleman-Adams admitted he was not the best of swimmers as he announced plans to cross the Atlantic solo in a hot air balloon.
Next month, the adventurer from Box is preparing to cross the ocean in a traditional wicker basket.
The 46-year-old, who last year failed to complete the west to east crossing after encountering technical problems, said he was determined to set a solo world record for distance travelled in an AM-08 Roziere balloon, which uses a combination of helium and hot air.
He said: "We think there might have been UV degradation on the gas cell last year and we had problems with the electrics of the auto pilot. I am confident that this year we have checked everything out and rectified what went wrong."
The crossing will start from Pittsburgh in the United States early in June, and should take five or six days to complete.
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