North Channel Sailing Record Targeted by Foiling Teams

25th July 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Record Pace – Olympic Nacra 17 sailors John Gimson and Anna Burnet, who set the current North Channel sailing record in 2023. Three crews will attempt to lower their mark this August

Three elite foiling crews will attempt to rewrite the record books next month with a Guinness World Records bid across the North Channel.

The sailors will race from Ballyholme Yacht Club in Bangor, County Down, to Portpatrick in south-west Scotland during a weather window from 7 to 9 August.

The teams will compete aboard high-performance Nacra 20 Carbon foiling catamarans capable of speeds exceeding 25 knots, tackling one of the most demanding stretches of water in the region.

Among those taking part are Kevin Dutch and Dave Banner, Mark Sewell and Will Smith, and Chris King and Marcus King. They will attempt to beat the existing North Channel crossing record of 1 hour, 30 minutes and 41 seconds.

That benchmark was set in 2023 by Team GB Olympic silver medallists, world champions and European champions John Gimson and Anna Burnet in the Olympic Nacra 17 foiling catamaran.

The North Channel's powerful tides, steep seas and rapidly changing conditions make it one of the toughest short offshore passages in these islands.

A successful crossing would be submitted for official recognition by Guinness World Records.

Published in Northern Ireland Waters

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North Channel Sailing Record

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