TWO CO Clare businessmen look set to become the first people to circumnavigate the Irish coastline on jet skis.
Darren Hayes and Liam Cleary, both car dealers in Ennis, set off from Lahinch in north Clare last Sunday on the unique challenge with the aim of raising funds for Tipperary, Clare and Limerick For Cystic Fibrosis (TLC4CF).
The pair arrived in Kinsale, Co Cork, from Arklow in Wicklow yesterday evening on day five of the challenge and are on course to complete the 1,500km journey, arriving in Galway tomorrow evening.
Several attempts have been made to travel around the Irish coastline in rigid inflatable boats with one person completing the challenge some years ago in 21 days. With two days to go, the pair have expressed confidence that they will become the first to travel the entire Irish coastline on jet skis.
They have been spending up to 12 hours a day riding the waves off the Irish coast under the watchful eye of their safety teams.
Speaking yesterday, Mr Hayes said: “We have had a great reception everywhere we have landed. It’s all about raising money for TLC4CF but when we complete the challenge, and we are so close now, it will be a great achievement for us personally. It hasn’t been easy. We have had very difficult days and days which were better than expected but it has been an incredible experience.”
The pair were due to depart from Kinsale at 8am today and plan to take a short break in Castletownbere to refuel and get refreshments. Sea conditions are expected to be difficult but they expect to arrive in Fenit, Co Kerry, during the late afternoon for their last overnight stay.