Two swimmers complete iconic Fastnet swim, with more on way

THE Fastnet Rock is fast becoming part of an iconic challenge that international long-distance swimmers have in their sights.

Two swimmers have just completed the 20km Baltimore to Fastnet swim route, made popular by West Cork’s Oceans Seven Challenge victor Steve Redmond.

Swim organisers Noel Browne and Nathan Timmins, who are part of Steve Redmond’s coaching team, are promoting the West Cork swim as one of the ‘must-do’ global swims for sea swimming enthusiasts, an activity which is rapidly increasingly in popularity.

This week swimmers Wicklow-based Ger Devin and Welshman Jason Betley completed the route in ‘skins’ (without a wetsuit) and with conditions perfect on Tuesday, Jason opted to do the return journey too – a total of 40km.

‘He flew out to the Fastnet,’ said Noel, speaking from the support boat Radiance on Tuesday morning, ‘he was there in about six hours.’ He said that Jason is aiming for a ‘double Channel swim’ this year, so the Fastnet is an excellent training ground, too.

This week saw near-perfect conditions for the swimmers, with a water temperature of 16 degrees Celsius, and an almost flat calm in the waters near the landmark lighthouse.

‘There were dolphins and minke whales and a small few jellyfish – lion’s mane but no Portuguese Man o’ Wars yet,’ said Noel.

He said Ger Devin, a Greystones native who is a commercial director with West Cork Biscuits, had an excellent swim on Monday with support boat Lion’s Mane and was thrilled to be raising funds for The Gavin Glynn Foundation, which helps families of children battling cancer to travel overseas for treatment. Ger also spends a lot of time in West Cork.

Devin is no stranger to difficult swims, having previously completed the difficult open water swimming triple crown, consisting of the English Channel, the Catalina Channel in California and around Manhattan Island in New York.

He set off from the Fastnet on Monday morning at 6.40am, making his way past Cape Clear and around Sherkin Island, before landing at Baltimore at 3.30pm.

The men are just two of approximately 30 swimmers who will bid to complete the 20km swim this summer, under the supervision of Noel and Nathan and skipper Kieran Collins.

The swim doesn’t have to be completed as a solo run, either, Noel explained. Earlier this week a family hired the boat and crew and completed it in relays of one hour each, in wetsuits.

‘It’s the kind of thing that a swimmer will only do once in a year, or maybe once in a few years, so we always try to get them in the water for the date they have booked, but only when conditions are safe and suitable. If not, we will try to get them in on another date, but it all depends on weather and tides.’