John Ryan Is Afloat.ie “sailor Of The Month” (Powerboats) For May 2016

2nd June 2016

W M Nixon

Round Ireland Record Breaker John Ryan at the wheel of his 'Team Hibernia' 100–mph powerboat Credit: David O'Brien

With his splendid achievement on Sunday of chopping six hours off the established Round Ireland powerboat record time, John Ryan is acclaimed as May’s Powerboat “Sailor of the Month” with a breakthrough which could stand for quite some time.

Ryan and his crew of defending record holder Philip Fitzgibbon, together with Sean MacNamara and Denis Dillon, took full advantage of ideal conditions. The impressive black 40ft Team Hibernia recorded a clockwise circuit from Kinsale with a massive 33% reduction in the standing eighteen hour time. Admittedly Fitzgibbon’s 2009 time was achieved in a RIB of les than 30ft and he continues to hold the under-30ft record. But the John Ryan-led new record of 12 hours 54 minutes and 24 seconds is a very special time indeed, and well worthy of spreading the “Sailor of the Month” awards into an additional category.

Published in Sailor of the Month

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