Fastnet - Maeve Mulcahy
andiss
Senior Member
(Reposting from Carol Cashels post on Sandycove FB)
Maeve Mulcahy aiming to be first female in skins to swim the 20k from Fastnet Rock to Baltimore in West Cork.
She has sandycove tracker onboard. She started at 07:35am this morning
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0YhXOBQqkQpmxOvStS7U1F9qYgvQ2gTg6
Looks like a really nice day for it
Comments
This is just awesome. Godspeed!
What's the history of this swim? Looks very fun.
I don't wear a wetsuit; it gives the ocean a sporting chance.
@malinaka, Not a lot. It's been swum by Steve (First Ocean's 7) Redmond and Noel Browne, (who crewed many of Steve's swims) that I know of. Possibly John Kearney. And now Maeve!
Given its position, its very hard to get good weather and sufficiently calm water, as the SW of Ireland is exposed to big swells so you need to be close and to be prepared to wait and act fast, and to arrange your own boat.
The Fastnet itself is iconic & famous as the last lighhouse heading south from Ireland. And as the turning point for one of the world's most famous yacht races, and scene of one of the most famous yachting tragedies back in the 70s (the book on the Fastnet Tragedy is recommended), all due to the ferocious & changeable conditions at the location.
The town of Baltimore where Maeve finished is the original location of that name. In the 17th century the entire population was captured by pirates and sold as slaves.
It was once struck by a 48 metre high wave.
loneswimmer.com
Nathan Timmins swam it last year.
Ned Denison did an attempt and got to cape clear (10km) and decided to throw in the towel.
I think Paul Shilling swam it the other day.
But yes it looks like a epic nice swim to do!
Whose domain is this for purposes of record keeping? ILDSA?
Unregulated. No-one down south much bothers with the ILDSA (the "Irish" is the title is very much aspirational). I volunteered for Maeve but she was already crewed up.
loneswimmer.com
Paul Schilling did it on the 31st of August this year
A great read to go with a great swim, Go Maeve!
https://myrtlevilleswimmers.com/2017/09/06/maeve-mulcahy-swimfastnet/
Stumbled across this:
http://www.fastnetswim.com
Here's his video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUsN6_3htgE&t=274s
Thanks Brendan! Here’s a video of my swim - thanks Anne Sheehy for creating it for me.
I very much appreciate your offer to crew Donal - thank you very much!
Great film of a brilliant swim, Maeve. ^:)^
Thanks Kate! Hopefully this is the beginning of many more marathon swims. I’ve caught the bug now