MACIEK RUTKOWSKI: MISSION BALTIC

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI: MISSION BALTIC 

Maciek Rutkowski, World Champion and 20-time Polish Champion in windsurfing, crossed the Baltic Sea from Sweden to Poland on his foil gear – setting a new record. Covering 227.5 km in just 8 hours and 28 minutes, Rutkowski reached speeds of up to 55 km/h before arriving Polish coast at Surf Stolica, Władysławowo, at 3:28 p.m., where cheering crowds awaited him.

“It was hell. After an hour, my nervous system shut down. There were moments when I didn’t know which way to go. Your vision and senses blur. You have to force yourself to drink and eat. Waves hit from three directions. My hands cramped up. It was twice as hard as I imagined. When I finally saw the land, I cried,” said Rutkowski after reaching the shore.

Seven wipeouts, a seal, cargo ships, and signal loss

Rutkowski set off at 7:00 a.m. from Sandhamn, southern Sweden, accompanied by two high-powered RIB boats with rescuers and a video crew streaming the extreme journey live. After a windless start, he faced three-meter waves, gusts of nearly 60 km/h, and seven wipeouts.

At one point, a curious seal appeared, cargo ships loomed on the horizon, and the support team reported signal interference aboard their boat.

“It was so wet on the boat that the phone started sending messages and recording on its own… Maciek is holding strong. A few wipeouts were caused by the harsh conditions. Sometimes we couldn’t even see the second RIB – it disappeared between the waves.” – the rescue team reported live from the Baltic.

The entire route was streamed online through Samsung Galaxy smartphones – the event’s official technology partner. Data from Rutkowski’s Galaxy Watch allowed real-time tracking of his speed, remaining distance, and vital signs such as heart rate and calories burned.

Those calories now turn into support for Malwinka, the ill daughter of fellow athlete Bartek Marszałek, Poland’s only F1 H2O World Championship competitor. Viewers had already donated nearly 24 000 euro (

70K PLN) by the time Rutkowski crossed the finish line – with Maciek pledging to add to the total.

Watch the full crossing here:

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