British tycoon Richard Branson breaks record for amphibious Channel crossing

"LONDON (AP) - Dressed in a dinner jacket and bow tie, British tycoon Richard Branson on Monday broke a French-held record for crossing the English Channel between Britain and France on an amphibious vessel.

The Virgin Group chief completed the 35-kilometre crossing on his shiny black Gibbs Aquada amphibious craft in one hour, 40 minutes, six seconds, well below the record of six hours held by two Frenchmen.

Branson said he hoped his victory would help to ease the nation's anguish after England lost 2-1 to France in extra time in the Euro 2004 soccer tournament in Portugal on Sunday night.

"Maybe it is not as important as football, but it feels important right now," Branson said.

The entrepreneur, who set a trans-Atlantic speedboat record in 1986, was attempting his latest feat to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his Virgin Atlantic airline.

Crowds gathered around the harbour at Dover in southeast England to watch Branson leave aboard his craft, which looks like a sports car but transforms into a "speedboat" at the touch of a button. Ferry passengers gathered on deck to cheer him as he passed.

After arriving at Calais, in northern France, Branson needed a little help to raise the vehicle, which transforms from a car to a boat in seconds, onto wooden ramps on the beach, but it was not long before he was greeting the crowds who had gathered to mark his achievement.

The crossing was monitored by an official from the Guinness Book of Records although it made no statement about the event.

The Gibbs Aquada, which sells for 75,000 pounds, can reach speeds of 160 km/h on land and 50 km/h on water.

The record had been held since the 1960s when two Frenchmen made the crossing in six hours in an "Amphicar" amphibious craft. They beat the record of seven hours, 33 minutes held by Englishman Ben Carlin."