Performance Sea Kayak 2 - UK Sea Kayak Records: Search Performance

The Performance Sea Kayak is administered by John Willacy. Here is his paddling profile.

Paddler Profile – John Willacy

John started out on his paddling career in the early 1980’s. Along the way he has paddled whitewater in Norway, sea kayaks in the Falkland Islands, won various National Titles and represented Great Britain at World Championship and World Cup level. John has paddled across most of the canoesport disciplines and classes, and in many locations. He is currently based on Anglesey in North Wales, from where he trains on the Menai Strait and runs the PSK website when he isn't paddling.

Sea Kayak

John holds a number of solo sea kayak records and has completed two solo circumnavigations of the UK, the only person to have done so:

2012 UK Circumnavigation - 72 days - Clockwise Kayak Blog.
2015 UK Circumnavigation - 83 days - Anti-Clockwise Kayak Blog.

In 2012 he was awarded the Chris Wheeler Adventure Paddler of the Year award by Canoe & Kayak UK magazine.

2907: Menai Strait paddles - JW

Sea Paddling History:

Circumnav

	Date	Type	Locn.	Cat	Elapsed	Date	Distance
1	2023	Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	10:28:26	16-Aug-23	65 nm
2		Circumnav	Walney Island	K1M	02:52:07	03-Jun-23	17 nm
3		Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	12:39:37	07-Apr-23	65 nm
4	2022	Circumnav	Walney Island	K1M	02:50:32	29-Apr-22	17 nm	Current Record
5		Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	10:04:17	11-Aug-22	65 nm
6		Circumnav	Isle of Islay	K1M	12:40:36	22-Jul-22	63 nm
7		Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	11:10:57	28-Mar-22	65 nm
8	2021	Circumnav	Isle of Bute	Team	06:46:02	13-Nov-21	31 nm	Team Record
9		Circumnav	Isle of Wight	K1M	07:02:22	09-Oct-21	49 nm	Current Record
10		Circumnav	Hayling Island	K1M	02:00:56	12-Sep-21	11 nm
11		Circumnav	Holy Island	K1M	03:18:37	21-Jul-21	18 nm	CW
12		Circumnav	Holy Island	K1M	03:03:20	14-Jul-21	18 nm	CCW
13		Circumnav	Isle of Skye	K1M	54:22:10	20-Jun-21	124 nm	Current Record
14		Circumnav	Holy Island	Team	03:50:54	07-May-21	18 nm	Team
15		Circumnav	Walney Island	Team	03:08:54	30-Apr-21	17 nm	Team Record
16		Circumnav	Walney Island	K1M	02:51:56	26-Apr-21	17 nm	Record
17		Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	10:12:15	31-Mar-21	65 nm
18	2020	Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	11:12:41	17-Oct-20	65 nm
19		Circumnav	Walney Island	K1M	02:53:09	23-Sep-20	17 nm	Record
20		Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	12:19:38	17-Aug-20	65 nm
21	2019	Circumnav	Isle of Man	K1M	12:16:03	18-Sep-19	62 nm
22		Circumnav	Holy Island	Team	03:29:57	26-Aug-19	18 nm	Team Record
23		Circumnav	Achill Island	K1M	99:00:00	2019	35 nm
24	2017	Circumnav	Isle of Skye	K1M	XXX	24-Jul-17	118 nm	Failed Attempt
25		Circumnav	Isle of Jura	K1M	09:55:40	25-Mar-17	56 nm	Current Record
26	2016	Circumnav	Isle of Scarba	K1M	01:32:05	11-Oct-16	8 nm	Record
27		Circumnav	Isle of Man	K1M	10:32:58	24-Aug-16	63 nm	Current Record
28	2015	Circumnav	Isle of Arran	K1M	09:14:54	13-Oct-15	47 nm	Record
29		Circumnav	Isle of Wight	K1M	07:19:46	23-Mar-15	49 nm	Record
30	2014	Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	09:24:04	11-Sep-14	64 nm	Record
31		Circumnav	Holy Island	K1M	02:55:45	13-Jun-14	18 nm
32		Circumnav	Isle of Bute	K1M	05:34:13	19-Apr-14	31 nm	Current Record
33	2012	Circumnav	Walney Island	K1M	03:10:00	18-Dec-12	17 nm	Record
34		Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	10:28:38	14-Oct-12	64 nm
35	2011	Circumnav	Isle of Mull	K1M	19:34:00	05-Jun-11	80 nm	Current Record
36		Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	09:54:48	18-Apr-11	64 nm	Record
37	2010	Circumnav	Isle of Man	K1M	12:38:03	12-Jul-10	63 nm	Record
38	2009	Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	XXX	19-Sep-09		Failed Attempt
39		Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	10:24:54	22-Aug-09	64 nm	Record
40	2007	Circumnav	Holy Island	Team	07:05:00	15-Sep-07	18 nm	Team
41	2006	Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	10:45:40	10-Sep-06	64 nm	Record
42	2005	Circumnav	Holy Island	K1M	04:28:00	21-Nov-05	18 nm
43		Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	11:30:00	29-Sep-05	64 nm	Record
44		Circumnav	Anglesey	K1M	XXX	22-Aug-05		Failed Attempt
45	2004	Circumnav	Anglesey	Team	2 days	30-Jul-04	64 nm	Team

Crossing

	Date	Type	Locn.	Cat	Elapsed	Date	Distance
1	2023	Crossing	Isle of Man (Wales)	K1M	08:59:49	09-Sep-23	40 nm
2		Crossing	Morecambe Bay	K1M	01:48:58	04-Jun-22	9 nm	Current Record
3	2022	Crossing	Morecambe Bay	K1M	01:51:05	03-May-22	9 nm	Record
4	2015	Crossing	Morecambe Bay	K1M	03:29:45	01-Aug-15	9 nm	Record
5		Crossing	Lundy (Wales)	K1M	07:30:00	21-May-15	28 nm	Current Record
6	2014	Crossing	Isle of Man (England)	K1M	04:41:22	11-Jul-14	27 nm	Current Record
7		Crossing	Isle of Man (England)	K1M	05:46:14	10-Jul-14	27 nm	Record
8		Crossing	Isle of Man (Scotland)	K1M	03:34:04	30-Apr-14	17 nm	Current Record
9		Crossing	Isle of Man (Scotland)	K1M	03:40:25	29-Apr-14	17 nm	Record
10	2013	Crossing	Lundy (England)	K1M	02:29:19	04-Sep-13	11 nm
11		Crossing	Lundy (England)	K1M	01:59:12	03-Sep-13	11 nm	Current Record
12	2012	Crossing	Lundy (England)	K1M	05:13:00	17-Jun-12	11 nm
13		Crossing	Lundy (Wales)	K1M	08:30:00	18-Jun-12	36 nm	Record
14		Crossing	Isle of Man (N.I.)	K1M	07:26:00	15-Apr-12	29 nm	Record
15		Crossing	Isle of Man (Wales)	K1M	10:48:00	13-Apr-12	41 nm
16	2011	Crossing	Holyhead-Dublin	K1M	11:19:59	01-Oct-11	51 nm	Record
17		Crossing	North Channel	K1M	03:25:28	26-Mar-11	19 nm	Record
18		Crossing	North Channel	K1M	04:29:54	26-Mar-11	19 nm
19	2010	Crossing	St.George's Channel	K1M	09:57:49	27-Sep-10	44 nm	Record
20		Crossing	Isle of Man (Wales)	K1M	08:21:12	23-Apr-10	40 nm	Current Record
21	2007	Crossing	Holyhead Dublin	K1M	13:45:00	24-Aug-07	53 nm	Record

Distance

	Date	Type	Locn.	Cat	Elapsed	Date	Distance
1	2022	Distance	Lancaster Canal (end-to-end)	K1M	07:41:50	12-Feb-22	41 m
2	2021	Distance	Loch Ness (end-to-end)	K1M	02:58:14	10-Jun-21	18 nm	UK Record?
3	2020	Distance	Lancaster Canal (end-to-end)	K1M	07:53:31	09-Mar-20	41 m
4	2012	Distance	Lancaster Canal (end-to-end)	K1M	08:15:06	18-Feb-12	41 m

Multi-Day

	Date	Type	Locn.	Cat	Elapsed	Date
1	2019	Multi-Day	Wales Circumnav	K1M	15 days	26-May-19	= Record
2	2015	Multi-Day	UK Circumnav	K1M	83 days	11-Aug-15
3	2012	Multi-Day	UK Circumnav	K1M	72 days	23-Jun-12	Record
4	2003	Multi-Day	Wales Circumnav	K1M	29 days	28-Jun-03

Competition

First competition: 1984
Competition Discipliness: Canoe Slalom, Wild Water Racing and Long Distance/Sprint Racing
Classes: C1, C2, K1, K2 and K4

Slalom

GB Intermediate Squad: 1988-1990
British Open C1 Champion: 1989(B), 1990(Slalom Sprint)
English C1 Champion: 1990, 1994
Welsh C2 Champion (with Geoff Forster)
BCU Premier Division C1 Slalom: 1989 - 1997

Wild Water Racing

Great Britain C1 Champion: 1992, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008
British Open C1 Champion: 1992, 1999
Welsh Open C1 Champion: 2005
BCU Division A paddler 1991 - 2008

Great Britain Team:

World Championships Team: 1993, 1995, 1996, 2006
World Cup Team: 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997
Masters World Championships 2006: Bronze Medallist

Kayak Design

John designed and developed a number of sea kayaks whilst working for Rockpool Kayaks, including:

Taran 18
Taran 16
GT
Isel (part design)