SUCCESS!

I completed the crossing on Friday 31st July in 11 hours and 23 minutes, leaving Sanphire Hoe at 5am in darkness and arriving at Cap Gris Nez in the early evening. It was the third successful crossing this year out of 10 attempts. Had a tough period between 7 and 9 hours that cleared after 3 large vomits! Jessica, Rob, Colin and Tom were a fantastic crew all the way and Ray and Les guided the boat and me on a perfect route. Thanks too to the physios in Chester and Dan Brown in Liverpool for a miraculous job getting my wrist working again - I had no pain from it on the big day, despite not being able to swim with the injury until 9 days ago.

Thanks to everyone who has helped and donated over the last year. It is not too late to donate if you were waiting to see if I was going to get across first!

Yours thankfully with sore shoulders!

Steve

27th July 2008 saw Mat, Colin, Dave and myself make it across to France in 15 hours 41 minutes, raising over £4500 in the end. Many thanks to those who helped, supported and sponsored us last year.

I'm now planning a solo effort in July 2009. It would be great to raise even more money this time. Please give generously knowing it is for a good cause and that I'll be in the 15-16^oC water for at least 12 hours, fending off sea sickness, hypothermia, 1m plus swell, jelly fish, salt water chafing in all sorts of places, container ships/ferries and anything the French and English are allowed to pump into the sea these days. It's 21 miles direct, usually 30 miles with the tides and currents and there is still about a 40% success rate for those that manage to get far enough to smell those croissants.

We have arranged to go the week commencing 25th July 2009 with the same pilots as last year, Ray and Les on Sea Venture II. The swim will be observed according to Channel Swimming Association rules (regulation swimming trunks, no wet suits, no touching the boat etc) and is subject to completing a 6 hour qualifying swim in open water beforehand.

Training is going well. The 2008 team (Mat, Colin and Dave) are a great support and inspiration. Chester Tri, particularly coach Rob Monk, have got me swimming faster than I thought was possible. My six hour qualifying swim was completed in the sea off Gozo at the beginning of April. Cold water training has continued in the Dee since then and the swans and rowers are getting used to a strange bloke in a pink swimming hat.

I'll update this page regularly to keep you posted on training swims and progress running up to the big swim.

Please give generously and thanks for your time.

Steve

The money goes straight to Claire House.
Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Claire House Children's Hospice gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

*******UPDATES********************************

22nd May 2009:

Six hour qualifying swim successfully completed in Gozo in April. It wasn't a breeze with 14 deg water temp, lots of jellies and thunder and lightening mid-swim. Met some great people though and started training with other Channel fruitcakes.

Rob, Colin and Jessica have kindly agreed to crew for me on the big day. I'm really grateful for their willingness to sit on a boat travelling at 2 knots for 12 hours, whilst throwing me drinks and trying not to be sick, not to mention the week off work.

Now swimming in open water regularly. Managed over seven hours in a very chilly (9 deg) Lake Windermere last weekend with Tom "the Shark" Noblett. My extremities had just about returned to normal by the following Thursday. I'm enjoying my Dee swims with Mat and Colin as well and have had only one episode of gastroenteritis to date. It might have been hospital acquired!

23rd May:

Unexpected success at the Ivan Percival 4 mile open water race in Liverpool Docks. A combination of my training and few others being willing or able to spend a few hours in Salthouse docks meant I emerged the winner in 1 hr 28min. Got a great trophy to show off to the kids and anyone else looking faintly interested.

26th June

Only one month to go. Doing virtually all my swimming  in open water now and enjoying the warmer temperatures. Totted up my training log and seem to have done about 190 hours of swimming this year so far. Swam in the Dover Champion of Champions swim last week finishing the 9 miles (3 swims of 5, 3 and 1 mile) in 4hrs 11min, 4th place. Was a great weekend of training in the sea with Tom as well.

My next big swim and dress rehearsal for the Channel is from Morfa Nefyn next weekend. Steve Hoyle is kindly providing the boat cover to do an 8 hour swim on Saturday and a 4 hour swim on Sunday. Last chance to pratice feed strategies etc before the big one. Praying for good weather and dreaming of a pint in the Ty Coch afterwards!

6th July

What a weekend. Met up with Tom "the shark" and Clare and family and Colin "the swerve" Baillie on Saturday for an 8 hour epic in rough seas off the Llynn Peninsula. Thanks to Colin and Jessica for not letting me back in the boat when I ready to get out and to Steve Hoyle, who skippered the boat, provided the warm shower and radioed the Ty Coch so I got an unexpected round of applause from all on the beach as I came stumbling out. Another 4 hours on Sunday with Rob, Tom and Colin completed a great weekend. Roll on the big one! Three weeks to go.