Safehaven Marine began a speed record attempt around Ireland and Rockall this morning, starting from the Old Head of Kinsale writes Tom MacSweeney. The Cork company designs and builds naval and military craft, pilot and patrol boats and has been at the leading edge of speed boat design.
FRank Kowalski and crew started at the Old Head of Kinsale and are heading anti–clockwise
Frank Kowalski is the Managing Director of the Company and said it looked like there was a "weather window to make our World record attempt in Thunder Child... It’s a bit marginal, but probably the best we can expect considering the current weather patterns forecast for the coming month, with continuous frontal systems moving across the North Atlantic into Ireland. Worst part looks like the West coast of Ireland with a significant wave height of 1.3m and a max of 2.2m with Force 3-4 winds Tuesday, but decreasing.
We decided to go anti-clockwise to give the swell there time to die down. Rockall is predicted at only 1m significant and 1.5m max, about as low as one could expect for North Atlantic, with light Force 2 winds. We will have a bit of weather heading off at the start Eastwards, but it’s a following sea along the South coast so we should be able to still make good speed, and then up the East coast it should be pretty calm. There is a new frontal system approaching Rockall on Wednesday with more strong winds, but we expect to be around Rockall and running ahead of that before it hits."
