An Irishman was the first person in history to complete the Oceans Seven. Another Irishman may become the first person in history to complete The Toughest Thirteen if all goes to plan.
Background
The Toughest Thirteen (T13 or MSF Toughest Thirteen) is a group of 13 difficult open water swims created by Evan Morrison in 2019 as an challenging marathon swimming alternative to the Oceans Seven.
The swims include the following. For more details, visit here.
- ʻAlenuihāhā Channel: 47 km (minimum) swim between the islands of Hawaii and Maui in the state of Hawaii
- Beltquerung: 25 km swim across the Fehmarn Belt in the Baltic Sea between Denmark and Germany
- Dál Riata Channel: 21 km swim between Mull of Kintyre in Scotland and Ballycastle in Northern Ireland
- Big Swim Derwent River Marathon: 34 km swim in the Derwent River in Tasmania, Australia
- False Bay: 33 km swim between Rooi Els to Miller’s Point in South Africa
- Fastnet Rock: 15.6 km (minimum) swim from County Cork on the Irish mainland
- Foveaux Strait: 29 km (minimum) between Stewart Island/Rakiura and from New Zealand’s South Island
- Gulf of the Farallones: 33 – 48 km swim between the Farallon Islands and the California mainland or the Golden Gate Bridge
- Loch Ness: 36 km swim across the famed lake in Scotland
- Monterey Bay: 37 km swim across the bay along the central coast of California, USA
- Round-Trip Angel Island: 16 km swim between Aquatic Park and Angel Island in San Francisco Bay in California, USA
- Strait of Juan de Fuca: 17 km swim between Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada and the state of Washington, USA
- Lago Titicaca: world’s highest commercially navigable lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia
Oceans Seven
Stephen Redmond of Ireland was the first person to complete the Oceans Seven in 2012. Another Irishman John Charles Curley (42, Ireland, MSF bio here, @johncharles.curley) may be the first person to complete the T13, perhaps within 1-2 years.
West Coast of America
After completing a Round-Trip Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, Curley headed north to the state of Washington where he completed another tough tidal crossing of the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the 11°C water between the American state of Washington and British Columbia in Canada. There were three heavy bouts of fog en route with the ever-present, but unseen this time, orcas around.
Curley T13 Update
Curley has now completed 9 of the T13 swims, with an eye to complete the remaining four swims before he goes on to his next challenge.
- October 2022: Monterey Bay crossing in northern California in 14 hours 52 minutes
- June 2023: Beltquerung across the Fehmarnbelt in the Baltic Sea between Denmark and Germany in 7 hours 35 minutes
- January 2024: Derwent River Big Swim in Tasmania, Australia in 8 hours 52 minutes
- July 2024: Dál Riata Channel crossing between Mull of Kintyre and Torr Head in Northern Ireland in 10 hours 45 minutes
- June 2024: Fastnet Rock Swim from the Fastnet Lighthouse to Baltimore in 6 hours 55 minutes
- January 2025: False Bay in South Africa in 10 hours 38 minutes with Linda Clarke and escort pilot Roger Finch
- January 2025: Foveaux Strait between Stewart Island to South Island in New Zealand with escort pilot Philip Rush
- September 2025: Round-Trip Angel Island between Aquatic Park and Angel Island in San Francisco Bay in 6 hours 36 minutes with escort pilot Clare O’Connor
- September 2025: Strait of Juan de Fuca between the USA and Canada in 8 hours 13 minutes with escort pilot Ger Kennedy and Brandyn Sampson and observer Andrew Malinak
What Is Up Next?
His next plan is to knock off a crossing of Lake Titicaca between Peru and Bolivia.
© 2025 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
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