North Channel Crossing: Paddle
Ireland to Scotland
On July 7th, 2024 Oisin McGrath completed a crossing of the North Channel, Ireland to Scotland, by prone paddle board. The North Channel is 37.5 km (23.3 mi) and took McGrath only 3hours 58 minutes, a time which was recorded as a new Guinness World Record. This line is as pure as Point to Points come.
Point to Point: The Gobbins, Ireland (start) to Portpatrick, Scotland (finish)
Distance: 37.5 km (23.3 mi)
Mode of Travel: Prone Paddleboard
Levels of Support: Infinity Channel Swimming vessel Antyana (World Record Observer)
Date of completion: 07th July 2024
Report: “Weather was very changeable. It was flat at the start and then had a crosswind and swell from the left. For a finish, there was swell bouncing back off the cliff from Scotland.” - Oisin McGrath
This line was successfully completed as a New Guinness World Record, 3hrs 58 minutes at an average speed of 9.5km/hr
“The fastest crossing of the North Channel by prone paddleboard is 3 hours 58 minutes 2 seconds, achieved by Oisín McGrath (Ireland), starting from Islandmagee, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and ending at Portpatrick, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK, on 7 July 2024. The journey was piloted by Jack Boyle of Infinity Channel Swimming on board Ānantya.
McGrath departed from the Gobbins cliffs at Islandmagee at 6.32 a.m. and arrived on the rocky coast just south of Portpatrick Harbour at 10.30 a.m..
As per Irish Long Distance Swimming Association (ILDSA) rules, the route must follow the Admiralty Chart 2198, Southern Part, which measures 18.6 nautical miles (21.5 miles; 35 kilometres); in total, McGrath logged a distance of 37.3 km (20.1 nautical miles; 23.1 miles).
This smashed the previous record of 4 hours 55 minutes 15 seconds set by Mark Walton (Ireland) on 1 July 2022.” - Guinness World Records
Additional Details: Oisin McGrath paddled a 14ft Bark Greyhound for this Point to Point.
This paddle marks the sixth submission into this years Point to Point Challenge of the Year event and is the first Dawgpatch paddle submission to cross a body of water between two countries.
