Hello all!!
Hope the training is going well.
It’s now just over a week to go to the 40ft Walruses’ inaugural race…. on the 28th June. Whether you are a doggy-paddler or attempting to beat Paudie “the skin suit” Murphy, come on down and give it a go. It is just over 1km, from the East Pier to Sandycove. We hope to have a successful first event and are looking to make this a permanent fixture on the Open Sea calendar. Some of the guys have put a lot of time and effort into organising this, so it would be good to see local club support. I might even come out of retirement for this one!!
And of course that is followed quickly by…. THE NESSIE CHALLENGE… on the 4th July. Really looking forward to this swim… hope everyone’s training is coming along well. Looked at the original training schedule for the first time in a while… a lot of swimming to do over the next 2 weeks!! And don’t forget those sponsorship cards - looking to top last year’s amount.
Like last year, anyone attempting the swim should have at least one freshwater lake swim completed before heading for Scotland. Buoyancy is a lot different in fresh water than in the sea and we don’t want anyone getting any surprises on the shores of Loch Ness.
Dips and swims over the next week….
40ft at 12 on Saturday – come on down for a dip… or attempt to get some practise in for next week’s race. Some of the guys are of to the waves in Kerry but there should be the usual crew around.
With the tides next week, the mornings look like the 40ft will be the spot. Can’t make Monday but hope to be on the water most other mornings. If anyone is interested in a good lunch time swim, the tide will be perfect at Seapoint on Tue or Wed… maybe down to Blackrock baths and back. Think it is a little over 2.5ks??
And don’t forget the fresh water swims… Lough Bray has been suggested. As many as possible of the Nessie swimmers should aim for at least one evening this week and one next week…. How does 7pm on Wednesday work for everybody?? Or suggest suitable time/day. Spectacular spot for a swim….. so well worth the drive.
Finally, well done to the Walruses who took part in the Glenalbyn Masters Swim on Tuesday… think we had at least 2 top 10 finishers!!!
Happy paddling!
Damon
To find Lough Bray, see the below link…
Hey,
ReplyDeleteDo you have a calendar for when the walruses meet up for swims? I've been looking for an open water swimming group but I've been struggling since I moved to Dublin,
thanks,
Aidan
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteIt is down to the wire now with our Inaugural Inter-Continental Swim this weekend (Sunday) where five Irish walruses will attempt to cross the treacherous straights as they have their first attempt at swimming from Europe to Asia.
We are attempting this feat with SwimTrek Swimming Adventure Specialists www.swimtrek.com Who describe the swim as follows: "The Hellespont is steeped in mythology. Leander would swim nightly to his beloved Hero across this stretch of water. However, we will make the crossing by day and won't have to rely on Hero's torch to guide the way! The poet, Lord Byron became the first known person to swim the hellespont in 1810."
However the reports from adventurous swimmers who have actually tried it report:
"The paperwork is nightmarish. The European shore, at Abydos, is inside a restricted military zone, and rumoured to be mined. The Hellespont itself is a marine motorway, carrying a huge volume of traffic between the Mediterranean and Istanbul and the Black Sea." http://www.businessballs.com/motivationalcasestudy.htm
"It [is] cold, there [are] some vast tankers plying up and down, and the rip current at the centre of the channel [throws] up white horses that looked like Grand National winners."
http://www.businessballs.com/motivationalcasestudy.htm
A previous swimmer attempting the crossing remembered... "If I stretched my neck up I could sometimes see the hills of Asia, but there was never any sense of movement. From the boat there were occasional shouted hints and words of encouragement like: "Sewage slick ahead: keep your mouth shut", and "This is where blood started to pour from the Ukrainian's ears... You seem to make no progress at all. There was a vague sense of pressure against my chest as I ploughed into that current, but there was no visible fixed point against which I could measure any progress. Failure, though, was unthinkable."
"The rumours we had heard about hammerhead sharks, giant squid and solid rafts of jellyfish[...]... diarrhoea and vomiting... are completely true."
Our plan of attack:
So we are going to discuss our tactics and make final preparations in the Apex Hotel in Istanbul on Thursday night.
Friday includes flying down to Canakkale.
Saturday is for making final scientific assessments, measurements, calculations, paperwork, medicals, visas, injections, goose-fattening and anti-sharkbate applications.
Sunday involves giving it a great shot and hopefully completing it alive!
Paudie, Damon, Al, Trev, Jamie :)
http://openwaterswimming.eu/node/753
Aidan if you send an email to
ReplyDelete"40 Foot Walruses Sea Swimming Club" <40footwalruses@gmail.com>,
we can easily add you our group, we send group emails when we are heading out.