Fastest swim crossing of the Isle of Man/Ireland channel (male)

The fastest swim crossing of the Isle of Man/Ireland channel (male) is 26 hr 48 min 37 sec, by Victor Piñeiro (Argentina) on 11–12 August 2025, as ratified by the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association.

Piñeiro was piloted on the swim, which covered approximately 56 km (35 mi) across the Irish Sea from Peel Harbour on the Isle of Man to the Sheepland Coast (near Chapeltown) in County Down, Northern Ireland, UK, by David Hughes on board the vessel Eilfid.

While there have been several previous attempts, Piñeiro (who now lives in Australia) is the first ever solo swimmer to have completed this route – known for its cold water, volatile currents and high risk of jellyfish stings. His unprecedented effort was recognized as the Solo Swim of the Year in 2025 by the Marathon Swimmers Association Ultraswimming Awards.

A relay group (“Triskelion”), comprising six people, completed a similar route (though slightly longer and ending in Ardglass, County Down) on 17–18 June 2017. The group comprised: Olive Conroy, Rory Fitzgerald, Conor Turner (all Ireland), Anna-Corin Nordin (Sweden), Carole Laporte (France) and Elina Mäkinen (Finland).