He started off with a bang and he ended with a bigger bang. 

Andreas Waschburger (38, Germany, MSF bio here, IISA bio here, World Aquatics bio here, @andreaswaschburger),started his Oceans Seven journey with an English Channel record, traveled the world, and culminated it with a record-crushing 8 hour 11 minute crossing of the North Channel from The Gobbins in Northern Ireland to Killantringan Bay in Scotland today.

Led by his rock, crew chief, and wife Jasmin Waschburger and escorted by infinity pilots Pádraig Mallon and Jacqueline McClelland, he broke the existing record held by Jordan Leckey who swam across in 9 hours 9 minutes in 2021. His crew included coach Jan Wolfgarten, Thomas Brami, Dr. Frank Krämer, Lara Boehne Rouven Pagliarini,  Steven Munatones, and Ben Eck [see team below],

Starting from The Gobbins in Northern Ireland at 3:16 am, the water temperature held around 14.6°C until Waschburger walked up the beach at Klllantringan Bay in Scotland after 8 hours 11 minutes, raising his arms in triumph. He was stung several times by jellyfish, but the number of dolphin encounters were even greater – typically a sign of good luck for channel swimmers.

The 38-year-old German also broke the overall Oceans seven speed record of 63 hours 2 minutes of Andy Donaldson (34, Scotland, MSF bio here, @andy.swimming) with a cumulative time of 49 hours 37 minutes, making him the first Sub-50 Oceans Seven swimmer.

The Oceans Seven Journey of Andreas Waschburger

• 33.5 km English Channel: 6 hours 45 minutes [record]
• 23 km Cook Strait: 5 hours 12 minutes
• 45 km Molokai Channel: 9 hours 55 minutes [record]
• 14.4 km Strait of Gibraltar: 2 hours 51 minutes
• 32.3 km Catalina Channel: 7 hours 58 minutes
• 19.5 km Tsugaru Channel: 8 hours 43 minutes
• 35 km North Channel: 8 hours 11 minutes [record]

The infinity Flotilla

Also starting at The Gobbins this morning were three other experienced marathon swimmers.

At time of this posting, Brenda Norman (44, Australia, MSF bio here, shown below on left), piloted by Jack Boyle, was looking good to complete a crossing on her third North Channel attempt. Jonathan Wall (53, Australia, MSF bio here, shown below in the middle) was similarly on a path to success under the escort of David Hughes, and Anel Sytdykova (46, Kazakhstan, MSF bio here, shown below on right) was being guided by pilot Jerry McGrady.

Tracking is at infinitychannelswimming.com, provided by Evan Morrison of Marathon Swimmers Federation.

infinity’s Pádraig Mallon, Jacqueline McClelland, Miles McCourt

Memories of the North Channel on September 4th

I have heard a lot of the North Channel, but Mallon and McClelland picked what turned out to be the perfect day for a crossing.

• The water remained warm by the standards of the North Channel, never dropping below 14.6°C.
• Winds were constantly at the swimmers’ backs and water turbulence was at a minimum.
• Tidal forces were perfectly chosen and never presented a major hindrance, as is more often the case.
• The four infinity boat pilots were constantly in communications with each other, sharing information to benefit all.
• The summer sun came out, opening up to a bright blue sky with picturesque clouds. The warming of the sun undoubtedly was welcomed by the swimmers and crew.
• The clear skies made the broad expanse of the Scottish coastline clear as can be, an inviting, inspirational goal for the swimmers and crew.
• There were more dolphins present than jellyfish.  Andreas only received one minor sting and Brenda only received 3 stings during her swim, although she caught several stings on the way back to the boat.

It will be a rare occurrence when (of if ever again) those types of conditions are replicated because:

• I was expecting the water to drop to 10-12°C at least at some point, especially over the 312 meter-deep 3.5 km wide Beaufort’s Dyke.
• Head winds often hinder the swimmers.
• Heavy surface chop often challenge the swimmers for hours.
• Rainy or overcast weather is frequently the conditions where the swimmers find themselves during daylight hours.
• Strong tidal forces to work against the swimmers, at least for some portion of their crossings.
• Many jellyfish to appear, especially outnumbering the dolphins.

But those things never occurred on September 4th.  

Oceans Seven Swimmers

As of September 4th 2025, 42 humans in history have completed the Oceans Seven. News of Waschburger’s achievement was splashed in Germany’s largest newspaper.

1. Stephen Redmond (Ireland)
2. Anna Carin Nordin (Sweden)
3. Michelle Macy (USA)
4. Darren Miller (USA)
5. Adam Walker (UK)
6. Kimberley Chambers (New Zealand)
7. Antonio Argüelles (Mexico)
8. Ion Lazarenco Tiron (Moldavia and Ireland)
9. Rohan Dattatrey More (India)
10. Abhejali Bernardová (Czech Republic)
11. Cameron Bellamy (South Africa)
12. Lynton Mortensen (Australia)
13. Thomas Pembroke (Australia)
14. Nora Toledano Cadena (Mexico)
15. Mariel Hawley Dávila (Mexico)
16. André Wiersig (Germany)
17. Elizabeth Fry (USA)
18. Attila Mányoki (Hungary)
19. Jonathan Ratcliffe (UK)
20. Jorge Crivilles Villanueva (Spain)
21. Adrian Sarchet (Guernsey)
22. Prabhat Koli (India)
23. Dina Levačić (Croatia)
24. Herman van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
25. Andy Donaldson (Scotland)
26. Stephen Junk (Australia)
27. Kieron Palframan (South Africa)
28. Bárbara Hernández Huerta (Chile)
29. Mark Sowerby (Australia)
30. Paul Georgescu (Romania)
31. Zach Margolis (USA
32. Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria)
33. Nathalie Pohl (Germany)
34. Caitlin O’Reilly (New Zealand)
35. Ryan Utsumi (USA)
36. Marcia Cleveland (USA)
37. Eduardo Collazos Valle-Guayo (Peru)
38. Rob Woodhouse (Australia)
39. Alessandra Cima, Brazil
40. Bengisu Avci, Turkey
41. Simon Olliver, New Zealand
42. Andreas Waschburger, Germany

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