"Little World": A failed attempt to cross the Atlantic from Tenerife in 1958

Early in the morning on December 12, 1958, a remarkable event took place on La Tejita beach in El Médano, near Montaña Roja. The "Small World" balloon, with a diameter of 14 meters, took off into the sky. On board were four Britons who wanted to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

All of Tenerife held its breath. People came from all corners of the island, even local authorities, to watch the balloon being prepared, inflated, and sent into flight.

The mayor of Granadilla de Abona, Evaristo Gómez, bid farewell to the brave travelers with words that conveyed the feelings of all the residents: "El Médano is now known throughout the world, and it owes this to these four heroes: Rosemary Madi, Colin Madi, Arnold Beaupre Eiloart, and Timothy Eiloart. Happy journey and good luck!"

The story of "Small World" is one of those episodes for which almost no documents or memories remain, so it has been almost forgotten.

But Emiliano Guillén Rodríguez, the official historian of Granadilla de Abona, recalls this event and considers it important to the history of the community.

"This is an event that has gone down in the history of aeronautics. This balloon was the first to prove that it is possible to cross the Atlantic on such a device. In those days, aeronautics was just beginning to develop. From Magellan to "Small World" - these are two extremely important events for navigation that are associated with Granadilla."

The preparation lasted several days, and there were unsuccessful attempts to take off due to unpredictable winds. Local residents gladly helped, bringing food, such as tomatoes and bananas, as well as other necessities. "But due to weight restrictions, they could not take many products with them," the historian recalls.

The Franco regime also decided to use this event for its own purposes. According to Guillén: "The country wanted to show itself to the world, and advertising El Médano was important, because this place was just beginning to develop as a tourist center."

This event was reported by El Nodo, Radio Club Tenerife, Radio Juventud de Canarias, and Radio Televisión Española.

The four Britons had extensive experience in such adventures: "One of the pilots was the first to cross the Atlantic in a small boat called Supradino. They believed they could cross the Atlantic by sailing with the wind."

According to records from that time, after departing from El Médano, the balloon stayed in the air for three days, covering about 900 miles of the planned 3,000. But due to a radio communication failure and bad weather, it fell into the ocean. Then the travelers turned the gondola into an improvised boat with a mast and sail.

One of the crew members recalled:

"We became amateur sailors. We could still see the balloon's envelope, which, like an arrow, broke away from our vessel and flew into the sky. We watched it until it disappeared into the clouds. From that moment on, we sailed for three weeks, and our lives were constantly in danger."

Historian Emiliano Guillén explains: "It cannot be said that they crossed the entire Atlantic. There was a period when nothing was known about them, and the English press hid it. But, according to our information, they did not have it easy, but they were rescued safe and sound."

During the sea voyage, they moved at a speed of about six kilometers per hour. There were no problems with food, but they had to conserve water. On December 21, Colin Madi wrote in his diary: "We only have 1,852 kilometers left to go. We have already come three-quarters of the way."

Finally, on January 5, 1959, after several weeks of uncertainty, "Small World" reached the Caribbean, namely Barbados. They were spotted by the New Providence fishing boat, which towed them the last four miles to shore.

Although they did not manage to completely cross the ocean by air, the four travelers proved that it was possible and left their mark on history.

In addition to the technical difficulties and the risk faced by the British aeronauts, the departure of "Small World" from La Tejita has forever remained in the memory of the residents of Granadilla de Abona.