The Bangor man currently holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest crossing of the North Channel on a stand-up paddleboard.
For some, the sky’s the limit. For others, however, it seems the entire North Channel’s barely the beginning. And it’s earned someone a Guinness World Record.
Iain McCarthy of Suphubni, a stand-up paddleboarding school in Bangor, now holds an impressive title.
Crossing the North Channel by paddleboard, he has now earned a Guinness World Record. Read on for his incredible story below.
The paddleboarder’s adventure – where and when
In less than seven hours (six hours and 40 minutes to be exact), McCarthy crossed the North Channel on nothing but a stand-up paddleboard. With this incredible achievement, the paddleboarder is the proud owner of a Guinness World Record.
On 18 September 2019, McCarthy travelled from Donaghadee, County Down, to near Portpatrick, Dumfries, and Galloway in Scotland.
He set out from Northern Irish shores at 6:41 am and touched land on Scotland at 1:21 pm.
Sharing the news – McCarthy’s initial shock
McCarthy was approached by Infinity Channel Swimming and was asked if he wanted try out for a Guinness World Record. Sharing the news on the Suphubni Facebook page, Iain was ecstatic at the news. At first, he thought that he was being pranked.
He said, “When Jacqueline of Infinity Channel Swimming messaged me a few weeks back and asked ‘do you fancy being a Guinness World Records holder?’ I wondered if my wife was pranking me again!!
“Turns out, it wasn’t a joke and today, proof has landed that I am apparently a Guinness World Record holder! For how long? Who knows and who cares!?”
More than just a record – raising funds for RNLI Bangor
Not only did McCarthy aim to overcome this personal feat, but also raised money for local lifeboat service RNLI Bangor.
Iain’s journey turned out to be incredibly worthwhile. Not only did the paddleboarder earn himself a Guinness World Record, he also raised over £6,000 for RNLI Bangor.
He continued, stating, “This was a memorable day, awesome fun and we raised over £6k for our local lifeboat RNLI Bangor.”
What’s next for the paddleboarder? – life after a Guinness World Record
Iain McCarthy’s passion for paddleboarding has earned him one of the most prestigious titles in the world. However, it seems that the paddleboarder has no intentions of laying low after his impressive Guinness World Record.
He joked, “I haven’t got a clue how these official world records works, I’m just grateful to be knocking around, part of the story and enjoying my paddling.
“Besides, we might have some bigger adventures planned for next year anyway…”
You can take a closer look at Iain’s incredible achievement on the Guinness World Records website here.
