A TOUGH-AS-NAILS windsurfer has smashed a world record after sailing up to 20,000km around the coast of Western Europe.

Jono Dunnett, 45, has almost reached the end of an epic two-year expedition, braving freezing conditions and fearsome waves.

Starting on the Norway Russian border in May 2017, former windsurfing instructor Jono has sailed along the coastlines of countries including Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France and Turkey.

Jonjo sometimes surfed for gruelling 14 hour stints.

He met friendly families in Ukraine who offered him food and rest, and took in the sight of plastic-clogged coastlines in Romania and Turkey.

At the time of speaking to the Gazette yesterday, Jonjo had 60 nautical miles left to sail before reaching Bulgaria.

From there, Jono will pedal his way across the continent on a bicycle to return to his Norway starting point.

This ride, along EuroVelo routes, will cover thousands of kilometres.

READ MORE: Daredevil Jono Dunnett on the last stretch of charity sail

Jono said: “If I was to cycle 80km a day for six days a week, the ride would take me 90 days. It is extremely long.

“But I have got used to putting in long days - I wouldn’t have dreamed of doing 14 hour windsurfs when I started.”

Along the way Jono is trying to raise as much money as possible for the World Wildlife Foundation.

But his main motivation is to challenge himself.

In 2015, Jono sailed into the record books by becoming the first person to windsurf around the coast of Britain.

Following the 98-day voyage, starting and finishing in his hometown of Clacton, Jono found himself eyeing an even bigger effort.

He said: “It has been an amazing privilege to see so much.

“There were parts which were a real long slog.

“You have to be aware of the dangers and really concentrate along certain types of coastline.”

The longest windsurf record previously belonged to Brazilian surfers Flavio Jardim and Diogo Guerreiro, who sailed 8,120km of the Brazilian coast between May 2004 and July 2005.

Jono, who started windsurfing at the age of ten at Holland’s Gunfleet Sailing Club, said: “I have broken the world record, so perhaps I’ll have to make a couple of calls when I’m back to confirm it. It is quite nice to get that.

“This is my ambition. I sailed around Britain because I wanted to truly see my country. Now I have seen the continent.”

Visit indsurfroundeurope.eu to support Jono.