A new British swimming record could be set in May, when five amateur swimmers attempt to become the first non-American relay team to swim one of the world’s most dangerous cold-water marathons.
The Great British Farallon Swim team will attempt the perilous 30-mile passage from Farallon Island to the Golden Gate Bridge, off the coast of San Francisco, California. Sea conditions there are described as being ‘like the English Channel, but much colder, rougher, and with sharks.’ The swim has only been completed a handful of times.
With sea temperatures dropping as low as 8°c, and rules demanding that each swimmer must stay in the water for an hour at a time without a wetsuit, participants risk severe hypothermia. Shark attacks are also a threat as this stretch of water is a notorious hunting ground for great whites. The team is braving the 30-hour swim to raise money for lifeboat and lifeguard charity, the RNLI. The expedition is sponsored by swimwear brand Swimzi.
British explorer Levison Wood, presenter of Channel 4’s Walking the Nile, said: ‘The GB Fallaron swim is set to be an epic test of endurance and a real challenge for the team in the very best spirit of British adventure. And it’s for such a worthwhile cause.’
The team’s six-month training period has included extensive swimming sessions in cold water in locations including London’s Serpentine lake and Tooting Bec lido. Participant Ali Wilde told Sidetracked how part of the team’s training also involved a day in RNLI’s ‘Sea Survival Tank’. Ali said: ‘Think of a leisure-centre wave machine, then put it on steroids and add simulated rain, lightning and wind. It really showed us just how hard this was going to be.’
Ali’s biggest concern is a shark attack. ‘Swimming in deep water frightens me. Sharks terrify me and it’s keeping me up at night. We’ve done our best to minimise the risks. May is when the majority of great whites in the area have headed south for warmer climes. But this doesn’t stop me thinking of the one lonely shark that may have waited behind and is feeling a bit peckish.’
The RNLI is a charity close to Ali’s heart. ‘The RNLI’s heroic volunteers put their lives on the line daily to save those who have become overpowered by water. They receive no government funding, yet they provide a 24-hour search-and-rescue service across the UK, and have saved over 140,000 lives since their inception in 1824.’
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