Andreas Waschburger (38, Germany, MSF bio here, IISA bio here, World Aquatics bio here, @andreaswaschburger) is now prepping for this seventh Oceans Seven channel crossing in Bangor, Northern Ireland.

After a 14.4 km Strait of Gibraltar crossing between Spain and Morocco in 2 hours 51 minutes in 16°C water this April, an 8 hour 43 minute crosing of the Tsugaru Channel from Aomori to Hokkaido in northern Japan July, and a 7 hour 58 minute crossing of the 32.3 km Catalina Channel on August 4th, he is now ready to take on the overall speed record of Andy Donaldson (Scotland, 34, MSF bio here, @andy.swimming):

• August 2022: 33.5 km English Channel between England and France in 8 hours 0 minutes
• September 2022: 35 km North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland in 9 hours 13 minutes
• March 2023: 23 km Cook Strait between North Island and South Island in New Zealand in 4 hours 33 minutes
• April 2023: 45 km Molokai Channel between Molokai Island and Oahu in Hawaii in 15 hours 52 minutes
• May 2023: 14.4 km Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco in 2 hours 56 minutes
• July 2023: 32.3 km Catalina Channel between Catalina Island and Southern California in 9 hours 22 minutes
• July 2023: 19.5 km Tsugaru Channel between Hokkaido and Honshu in northern Japan in 13 hours 4 minutes

When he achieved the first Calendar Year Oceans Seven in 355 days, Donalidson’s cumulative swim time was 63 hours 2 minutes 9 seconds, the fastest in history. Donaldson broke the previous cumulative time record of Attila Mányoki (52, Hungary, MSF bio here, @attilamanyoki, shown below on right) who cumulatively crossed the Oceans Seven channels in 64 hours 35 minutes.

If successful across the 35 km North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland, Waschburger will also beat the cumulative times of Petar Stoychev (48, Bulgaria, MSF bio here, IISA bio here, shown below in middle who completed the seven crossings in 173 days), and Robert Woodhouse (Australia, 59, MSF bio here, shown below).

Catalina Channel Highlight Video

Waschburger’s latest Oceans Seven channel highlight video [shown above] was made by his crew members Rouven Pagliarini and Janis Scheuermann that captured the essence of Catalina and the environs of Southern California.

Andreas Waschburger’s Oceans Seven Journey

• September 2023: he swam the 33.5 km English Channel from England to France in 6 hours 45 minutes
• October 2024: he swam the 45 km Molokai Channel from Molokai to Oahu in 9 hours 55 minutes
• March 2025: he swam the 23 km Cook Strait from South Island to North Island in 5 hours 12 minutes
• April 2025: he swam the 14.4 km Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco in 2 hours 51 minutes
• July 2025: he swam the 19.5 km Tsugaru Channel from Aomori to Hokkaido in 8 hours 43 minutes
• August 2025: he swam the 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes in 7 hours 58 minutes
• August 2025: he is scheduled to swim the 34.5 km North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland with his window starting on Friday, August 29th

With those times, Waschburger has a cumulative time of 41 hours 24 minutes for his first six Oceans Seven channels – which gives him plenty of leeway to crack Donaldson’s 63 hour 2 minute cumulative record for the Oceans Seven. As always, Andreas’ wife Jasmin Waschburger will be at his side and on his boat.

Stay tuned.

Oceans Seven Swimmers

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

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