Performance Sea Kayak2

Multi-Day:
Circumnavigation - GB + Ireland Notes

Route Distance: ~1980 nm / 3667 km
Prevailing direction: CW
Record: 2004 - 140
Solo: 3
Team: 2

The GB Circumnav is the ultimate adventure for the GB sea paddler, adding the Republic of Ireland into the mix takes extends things considerably.
Here are some background notes for the various attempts on the GB Circumnav.

Multi-Day: Circumnavigation - GB + Ireland

Notes

Felipe Behrens - 2024
Cat: K1M
Date Finish: 16-Sep-24
Start Point: Kew Bridge, London
Elapsed: 190
Boat:
 Rockpool Taran 18

Routed through the Crinan Canal.
From Felipe:
"I paddled about 5 miles of the Crinan canal in Scotland. The reason for that was because I am a foreigner, I cannot stay in the UK for longer than 180 days at a time. Therefore, when I did the portion around the Republic of Ireland, I had to make a stop in Belfast in Northern Ireland and get a passport entry stamp to show that I had a second entry into the UK. From Belfast, it would have taken a lot of backtracking to go around the Mull of Kintyre, and cutting through the Crinan canal was just more convenient and saved a few days."
Felipe intended to use a sail throughout this attempt but found the conditions too windy for much of the time! He repaddled the stretch from Lyme Regis to Seaton after returning to Lyme Regis to sit out bad weather.
From Felipe:
"Longest day paddle: 59.5 miles, Longest time on the water at a time: 13 hours, Longest day paddle without a sail: 51 miles, Longest stretch of days paddling: 7 days, Longest stretch of land bounded weather days: 10 days."

Link:

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Richard Elliot / Bill Taylor / Mick Wibrew - 1986
Cat: Team
Date Finish: 22-Sep-86
Start Point: Gillingham
Elapsed: 157
Boats:
 Nordkapp
 Nordkapp
 Nordkapp

From Bill Taylor:
"In 1986 I completed the first vkayak circumnavigation of both britain and Ireland (19.4.86 - 22.9.86) with my 2 buddies, Mick Wibrew and Richard Elliott, all 3 in Nordkapps. This was aknowledged as a record by the BCU and is described in my book of the expedition: Commitment and Open Crossings, published by Diadem (Hodder) 5000 copies and still advertised on Amazon as used copies with all 5 Star revues. Started Gillingham in Rivr Medway estuary and crossed our original track at Garrison Point on Isle of Sheppey, having paddled closckwise , paddling from St Davids to Rosslare and fom Ratlin to Mull of Kintyre " (sic)

Link:

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Sean Morley - 2004
Cat: K1M
Date Finish: 18-Sep-04
Start Point: Falmouth
Elapsed: 169
Boat:
 Kirton C-Trek

Sean has completed many challenging trips and expeditions, including record setting Irish Sea Crossings, the Roof of Britain route and the circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. But in the GB it is his solo trip around the GB & Ireland that sets him apart. Sean's trip was different in that he took in all the outlying GB islands (excluding the Channel Islands) on his way, including such wayward landfall as St. Kilda and the Shetlands. Total distance - around 4500 miles!
A route that is yet to be repeated...

Link: Website

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Andy Morton / Jane Morton - 2013
Cat: K2
Date Finish: 26-Aug-13
Start Point: Plymouth
Elapsed: 143
Boat:
 Valley Aleut II

Jane and Andy may not be the first married couple to undertake the GB Circumnavigation but I believe they are the first persons to complete it in a double (and the first for nearly a decade to complete this route at all). They set out from Bere Ferres Quay near Plymouth in April, and included Ireland in there for good measure. They went on to tick the whole thing off in an impressive 143 days!
From Jane:
"Of the 143 days, 99 of were on the water - mainly due to those first two awfully windy months. 5 days in total taken up with boat repairs on otherwise paddleable days. We never set out to do the trip in the fastest time possible and had we done so I think this year we could have been very quick indeed - probably up to 1 month quicker had we really pushed it. We took our time and rested when sensible e.g. very windy days mainly and took in the wonderful coastline and took care of ourselves, not getting off the water ridiculously late. Mostly on the water by 8am each morning."

Link: Website

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Fiona Whitehead - 2004
Cat: K1W
Date Finish: 26-Aug-04
Start Point: Portsmouth
Elapsed: 140
Boat:
 SKUK Greenlander Race

I believe Fiona to be the first woman to complete this venture. During her trip she spent much time on the beach awaiting gaps in the weather, the bane of any GB Circumnavigator. Though Fiona set out to paddle solo, I'm sure she would agree that it would be rude to overlook the company of such veritable sea kayaking 'names' as Harry Whelan, Barry Shaw, Axel Schoevers (and 'Tom' - sorry, no surname) she had along the way. In her time Fiona has also circumnavigated Anglesey, circumnavigated Wales, competed in the Devizes to Westminster race and soloed the western coast of Australia. Fiona now works for the Outward Bound Trust.

Link:

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Summary:

Multi-Day: Circumnavigation - GB + Ireland
Recorded Start Points:

• Falmouth (1)
• Gillingham (1)
• Kew Bridge, London (1)
• Plymouth (1)
• Portsmouth (1)

Solo: 3
Team: 2