Ballyholme Yacht Club on the south shore of Belfast Lough will be the start point for a record-breaking trip across the North Channel to Portpatrick on the Mull of Galloway in Scotland during the week beginning 25th September.
Team GB Olympic silver medallists and World and European Champions in the Olympic Foiling Nacra 17, John Gimson and Anna Burnett, will arrive at the club on Sunday 24th September.
In association with Artemis Foiling Technology, a zero-carbon passenger ferry that is being developed in Belfast, they will make an attempt at a record.
RYA UK and Artemis aim to have any achievement recognised by the Guinness Book of Records.
The record stands at 1hr 41 mins 28 secs held by Ian Wilson and the late Johnny Mullan of Ballyholme Yacht Club in a Tornado catamaran in 1995. Richard Swanston, also of BYC holds the single-handed record of 1hr 50mins. He still sails a Multihull. And last year, Rob Espey sailed the crossing in a Waszp in 1 hour 30min, but it hadn’t been verified.
The trophy was donated by the late Bill Wallace’s family. Bill, Vera and their children, Heather, John and Peter all sailed a Dart 18.
The crossing is made complicated and dangerous with strong tidal influences on both sides of the channel, creating steep, difficult wave formations.
The foiling spectacular Nacra 17 is capable of speed more than 25 knots, so if John and Anna can keep control, the record could fall.
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