IN THE space of just a week, both President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar have given their support to Southside sailor Gregor McGuckin ahead of his solo non-stop sailing lap of the planet as part of the Golden Globe Race.
President Higgins wrote to the Goatstown man to wish him well on behalf of the people of Ireland. The letter was delivered to Gregor and read out in the presence of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail alone non-stop around the world in Falmouth last week.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar then joined the President by Tweeting his support for Gregor.
The solo sailor has been campaigning to compete in the incredible non-stop, around the world, solo sailing race, the Golden Globe Race, for almost two years.
With the countdown on to the start of the race, Gregor’s team has announced the support of the Irish-owned, global company, Hanley Energy, who have joined the project as the headline sponsor.
This will now guarantee McGuckin will be on the starting line in Les Sables d’Olonne on July 1. The Team has been called ‘Gregor McGuckin Empowered by Hanley Energy’ and the boat will be renamed at a ceremony to become ‘Hanley Energy Endurance’.
McGuckin will be the only Irish entrant in what will be a grueling nine-month lap of the planet. He will face the extreme heat of the tropics and worst sea conditions imaginable as he sails down to beyond 56 degrees south to round the infamous Cape Horn. If successful McGuckin will be the first Irish person to complete the ‘Everest of the Seas’, that is sailing alone, non-stop around the world.
The race marks the 50th anniversary since Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was the first person to complete this once unthinkable task. Since then fewer than 200 sailors have managed this feat.
Competitors in this year’s race are limited in the technology they can use to best match the challenges faced 50 years ago. This means no GPS, no weather routing, and no desalination systems.
Hanley Energy CEO and Co-founder, Clive Gilmore, said: “Hanley Energy wishes the Endurance Team lead by Gregor McGuckin in the forthcoming Golden Globe Race 2018 every well-deserved success.
“Hanley Energy is truly delighted to sponsor this incredible and inspiring team. Fortitudine Vincimus — ‘by Endurance we Conquer’, a motto once held strong by Shackleton accurately captures the real sentiment of Team Endurance; a team that will not only endure this race, but will surpass all expectations and accomplish the impossible.”
McGuckin added: “The addition of Hanley Energy to the project is fantastic. We share many of the same values in terms of work ethic, safety, drive, and determination.
“Also, energy creation, innovation, and usage will be critical to my successful voyage. We’re thrilled to be making this announcement and it also helps all our other supporters and partners who have backed us over the past two years.”
Hanley Energy are specialists in the delivery of Critical power and energy management solutions – from the power grid all the way to the factory process equipment and Data Centre IT rack – coupled with comprehensive service and maintenance, training and consulting. Divisional office locations include Ireland, United States, Germany, Sweden and Australia, with more to be added on the horizon.
Through the support of the CJ Fallon and the Marine Institute, primary schools across Ireland will follow Gregor and learn about the ocean.