In fact, while we only swam 21 miles, we travelled 33 as we were carried by the tide, first up the Channel then, when the tide changed, back down again.
I'll include some links later where you can get the Motion Based route which allows you to watch a dot simulating our journey- it sounds a bit naff but it's quite good fun really - you can see where we're in the choppy bits and slowed down etc. (OK, so perhaps I'm geeky!) you can also export it to Google earth so you can blow up the above screen shot if you wish
This is Adam starting the swim proper from Shakespeare Beach - just round the headland from Dover harbour. He had to swim to the beach from the boat and totally clear the water for the official start.
Hey, who's that fine figure of a man? OK, if you need a clue, it's me, Colin!!
Birg (my wife) and Karen (Chris' girlfriend) very quickly decided that we swimmers wouldn't be able to drink all the champagne......... and it would be silly to let it get warm.........
Adam seemed to enjoy the greasing up duties far too much for my liking, or was it wearing the Marigold that appealed so much???
The Coast Guard looked after us really well. We kept hearing them over the radio, instructing these huge marine juggernauts to change course to 'avoid Anastasia - an escort vessel for a Cross Channel Swimmer'!! We certainly knew about it when they got too close as the wash would lift the swimmer right out of the water and send Anastasia bobbing like a cork.
Swimming in the pitch black was not a pleasant experience. It was much worse than when we practiced in the harbour a couple of weeks ago. I totally lost sight of the boat at one point and was very concerned.
Finally, here's the team at the end of the swim, we were so, so, happy, words can't describe the feeling:
From the left we have: Tony, Colin (me!!), Chris, and Adam.
Here's the links I mentioned earlier.
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/email/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=6772&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=3812581
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