IT took an Australian travelling almost 11,000 miles to West Cork to set a new record for the Baltimore to Fastnet swim.
Lough Hyne Lapper, Noel Browne who alongside Ocean’s 7 star Steve Redmond, has championed the Fastnet Swim as a key swim event in Ireland, told The Southern Star: ‘It is amazing to see people coming from that far away to undertake this challenge.’
He congratulated Michael Payne from Kurrajong in New South Wales, Australia, who started his swim from the pier in Baltimore at 6am on Wednesday morning.
Kieran Collins was the pilot on board the Radiance, with Elain Dillane as the official observer.
It was a memorable occasion for another reason too because Michael’s dad, Steve, travelled to Ireland for the event and was there to witness his son reach the Fastnet at 11.11am.
Michael’s time was 4 hours and 54 minutes and 16 seconds, which put him 25 minutes ahead of the previous fastest time.
It was Steve Redmond who set the trend when he succeeded in completing the first Fastnet swim in 2011.
Since then it has become a fixture for all serious sea swimmers keen to prove themselves over the course of the 21km swim.
