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have three or four under their belt. Penny Palfrey, this month’s H2Open hero, is the current frontrunner with fi ve crossings – she is preparing for her sixth crossing, the Tsugaru, this September (see our article on page 20). But there are others in the running who are nipping at her heels, including fellow Australian James Pit ar, who has four of these crossings to his name. Who will be the fi rst to fi nish them all?


THE SWIMS


The idea of an Ocean’s Seven was fi rst postulated by the Daily News of Open Water Swimming in 2009. The idea behind the list was to create a challenge that demanded the swimmer be physically and mentally prepared to overcome every tough condition, from currents and winds, to cold water and marine life.


2. ENGLISH CHANNEL Diffi culty: Location: Channel between England and France, with the narrowest point being in the Strait of Dover between Dover, England, and Calais, France. Distance: 34km (21mi) at its narrowest point. Hazards: An international waterway of cold water temperatures, strong currents and ever-shiſt ing water and weather conditions. Window of opportunity: June to September. Outcome: This is the world’s most famous channel crossing with thousands of failed at empts due to strong currents and tidal fl ows, strong winds and whitecaps caused by changing conditions and hypothermia. Additional information: Considered to be the standard for channel crossings, with the rules and traditions signifi cantly infl uencing the open water swimming community.


THE CHALLENGE DEMANDS THE SWIMMER BE PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY PREPARED FOR EVERY TOUGH CONDITION


The seven swims are: the North (Irish) Channel, the English Channel, the Catalina Channel, the Molokai Channel, the Cook Strait, the Tsugaru Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar. While there are many other channels around the world, these seven are distributed over a wide geographical area and present suffi cient challenges to the very best swimmer. 


4. MOLOKAI (KAIWI) CHANNEL Diffi culty: Location: Channel between Molokai Island and Oahu in Hawaii. Distance: 26 miles (41.8km) across a deep-water channel in the middle of the Pacifi c Ocean. Hazards: Extremely large swells and strong currents, high winds, tropical heat, aggressive marine life and very warm water. Window of opportunity: As conditions permit. Outcome: The beautiful island views and deep-blue underwater scenery make this a taxing but enjoyable swim. Additional information: This deep-water channel was fi rst crossed in 1961 and has only been completed by 13 individuals to date.


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