Franky Zapata, France’s Flyboard champion, failed to complete his ambitious attempt to fly across the English Channel

While some choose to swim or sail across the English Channel, French inventor Franky Zapata aimed to conquer it on a jet-powered hoverboard – but unfortunately, he was unsuccessful.

Zapata, a former jet ski racing champion, took flight on his Flyboard Air vehicle last Thursday, but missed the boat-mounted platform where he planned to refuel midway, according to Reuters. The 40-year-old fell into the sea but escaped unscathed.

‘As I neared the platform, the boat hit a wave, causing the foot of the machine to break,’ Zapata explained during a press conference on Thursday.

‘I lost my balance and fell into the water. The Flyboard was damaged; its electronic components need to be replaced, the motors are ruined, but the base is intact,’ he added.

He was about 11 miles away from the finish line at St Margaret’s Bay, England. ‘I could see the British coastline,’ he shared at the press conference.

However, all is not lost. He plans to make another attempt to cross the Channel ‘possibly as early as next week.’

The fearless adventurer, who took off at around 9 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) from Sangatte, France, was aiming to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the first aerial crossing of the Channel. He aimed to complete the 22-mile (35km) journey in just 20 minutes.

Video from his launch revealed Zapata stepping up onto a platform in the French seaside town, then boarding his Flyboard and soaring into the sky.

The Flyboard resembles a bulky skateboard, powered by five small engines. It runs on kerosene, with Zapata carrying 104 pounds of fuel in his backpack, according to Agence France-Presse.

He was scheduled to pick up a second kerosene supply at the refueling stop located halfway across the Channel.

The inventor captured global attention when he soared above Paris during the Bastille Day parade on July 14, flying aboard a board that can reach nearly 500 feet in altitude – with the capability to go even higher – and a top speed of 87 miles per hour.

Even French President Emmanuel Macron shared a video of Zapata's daring feats on social media.

Although the Bastille Day flight only tapped into ‘3% of the machine’s potential,’ Zapata told Dinogo that crossing the Channel would require ‘99.9%’ of its capacity. He cautioned that strong winds could be his biggest challenge on Thursday.

Zapata expressed confidence, saying he believed he had a ‘30% chance’ of completing the journey, but admitted feeling the weight of greater expectations now that his adventures have attracted more public interest.

‘When you’re flying using your body, even the slightest movement of your hands can change your direction. You can feel the turbulence and the wind slip through your fingers,’ Zapata shared with Dinogo.

‘It’s like becoming a bird, but it’s not all serenity. I have to fight the wind with my legs, and that causes pain too. It’s far more challenging than it appears,’ he added.