Dougal Around Britain

dougalsepicadventure.com/around-britain-2023/
Douglas Glaisher is currently attempting to break the record (67 days set in 2012) for paddling around mainland Great Britain. Storming along, he set off from Aldeburgh 25 days ago and is currently rounding the top end of Scotland. This is unaccompanied- he carries camping gear, food, water.
He's been doing monster days of 100km most days, and some big crossings (St David's Head to Rosslare for example).
Interestingly, he is paddling an Epic V8 GT - a stable surfski with hatches.
The 'strengthened' V8 GT weighs 17kg unladen. Heavy by surfski standards.

35 days in.
He is now battling headwinds, but still managing 50-95km per day. Body suffering a lot.
If he sustains current progress, he'll likely finish in less than 10 days, knocking an utterly incredible 20 days or more off the record.
I predict that the next time this record is broken, it will be by someone with a full support boat and crew.

He has one bit of interesting experimental kit - a kayak paddle 'balancer' designed by Ivan Lawler. Wing blades are 'unbalanced' about their shaft axis, and it takes a small amount of wrist effort to keep them oriented. Ivan has designed something that enables you to remove this imbalance. So far Douglas is really liking the device.

How the heck is he pulling such distances on a daily basis....

He's slowed considerably; adverse conditions, mostly headwinds, and body getting beaten up. Still knocking out 60-75km days, but that is taking him 10+ hours.

He has 220km to go by my reckoning. It is conceivable that he will be finished in 3 days, if the weather gods are kind.

That would give him a time of 40 days, which would be incredible.

I don't see anyone breaking this record without being fully supported (followed by a support boat with crew who feed the paddler, etc).

Looks like the last day will be today. He has less than 60km to go, but headwinds all day.

Not set off yet - might be waiting for winds to ease, but could also be health. Dougal has a live blood sugar meter and it was showing 16mmo/l this morning, which is dangerous.

Fingers crossed that the day goes well.

Epic have asked me to modify posts about Dougal; I originally said he was 'unsupported', which technically isn't true. People have met him (on land) to get supplies to him at times. So it is more correct to say 'Unaccompanied'.