Suited daredevil takes to the sky
Alex Thomson begins his stunt by chasing his speeding IMOCA Open 60 yacht on a kiteboard, while dressed in a sharp suit and tie.
Suited daredevil takes to the sky
Using the boat's speed to propel himself, the British around-the-world sailor soars 280 feet into the air above the yacht.
Suited daredevil takes to the sky
This time-lapse image shows four stages of the yachtsman's ascent, reaching twice the height of his boat's mast -- the equivalent of a 25-story building.
Suited daredevil takes to the sky
"He's flying, he's flying!" one of Thomson's team members can be heard shrieking in the video footage as the skipper soars 280 feet above the water.
Suited daredevil takes to the sky
At peak height, Thomson detaches the rope from his harness, freeing him to kitesurf...
Suited daredevil takes to the sky
... expertly down to a perfect landing on the water.
Suited daredevil takes to the sky
A total of 35 people were involved in the planning, co-ordination and execution of the stunt, Thomson's most ambitious yet.
Suited daredevil takes to the sky
"I've always had a love for all things wind-powered so naturally a stunt which involved kite surfing was the next step," said the 41-year-old, who performed a keelwalk in 2012 and a mastwalk in 2014.
Suited daredevil takes to the sky
For the mastwalk, the fearless around-the-world sailor scaled and dived off his boat's 98-foot (30-meter) mast.
Suited daredevil takes to the sky
For the first stunt, Thomson strolled along the keel of his speeding race yacht.
Suited daredevil takes to the sky
This latest effort took place at Alvor in Portugal, a kitesurfing hotspot.
Suited daredevil takes to the sky
Thomson has set his sights on winning the non-stop solo around-the-world race, the Vendee Globe, which starts in November.
