Fastnet lighthouse is such an iconic Irish landmark and I had enviously been watching other friends complete this swim. My slot was in late July, and I was absolutely blessed with calm, sunny conditions! But looks can be deceiving…. I started in Baltimore in 14.3 degree water, but the temperature dropped to as low as 10.6 degrees during the swim. I’ve never swum in water where the temperature has varied so much, but that adds to the challenge of this unique swim.
Another part of the challenge was finding out the morning of my swim that I would be starting in Baltimore and swimming out to Fastnet (I had expected it to be the other direction). The reason for this was that the tail end of the Fastnet yacht race was still circumnavigating Fastnet, so there would be fewer boats if we got there later. The change worked out well for me as I breathe to the right and could see Sherkin and Cape Clear islands as we went past. I also sight a lot, so looking up as Fastnet slowly got larger and larger and arriving out to Fastnet, usually this lonely, isolated rock, but this time surrounded by a multitude of yachts. I stopped to wave at one of the yachts before being scolded by my crew for dawdling! I remember touching Fastnet, being cheered by my crew, friends in another rib and the Cape Clear ferry… and then I started on my lap of honour around Fastnet to cap off the most special day.
Many thanks to my pilot Damien, observer Noel and crew Natasha. They were a great team and very helpful when my tummy was unsettled. Finally, apologies again to Natasha as I managed to vomit all over her on the rib coming back to Baltimore!
