President Mary McAleese has congratulated Air Corps pilot Capt Mick Liddy (28) on breaking the record for solo non-stop sailing around Ireland.
Capt Liddy took almost two days off the existing record when he sailed into Dún Laoghaire harbour in the early hours of yesterday morning. Total time at sea had been five days, 12 hours, 11 minutes and 46 seconds - compared to the previous record of seven days and 10 hours set by British yachtsman Peter Keig in 2001.
A large crowd had gathered at the National Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire to welcome in the sailor, who had dropped anchor late on Sunday night off the Arklow coast to take some rest as the tide turned against him. He had been averaging about 4.4 knots on the final leg up the Irish Sea, with 9 to 13-knot northeasterly winds.
Comdt Tom O'Connor of the Air Corps, one of the shore support team involved in the attempt, expressed delight at his colleague's achievement yesterday.
Comdt O'Connor, a former round-the-world skipper, worked with Comdt Ron Verling and Con Murphy to provide vital meteorological and tidal information,while Capt Liddy's partner, Sara Bergin, also provided support.
Capt Liddy was born in Dublin, brought up in Co Kildare, and has been sailing since the age of six. His great-grandfather fought in the Civil War and was a TD in the first Dáil, while his grandfather was an Air Corps pilot and died in a crash off Wicklow Head in 1969.
Capt Liddy's father, Graham, became Ireland's youngest glider instructor at the age of 16.