MARATHONS THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE
5. COOK STRAIT Diffi culty: Location: Channel between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Distance: 16 nautical miles (26km). Hazards: Immense tidal fl ows in icy water, jellyfi sh and sharks. Extremely stiff challenges for most capable and adventurous swimmers. Both sides of the strait have rock cliff s. Also cold water (14-19˚C) and heavy chop. Window of opportunity: November through May. Outcome: One-in-six swimmers encounter sharks on their crossings, but they only come around to be nosy. No one has ever been at acked during a swim. Additional information: To date, only 71 successful crossings have been made by 61 individuals from eight countries. Hypothermia and changes in weather conditions are the most common reasons that at empts fail.
6. TSUGARU CHANNEL Diffi culty: Location: Deep-water channel between Honshu, the main island of Japan where Tokyo is located, and Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. Closest points are Tappi Misaki in Honshu and Shirakami Misaki in Hokkaido. Distance: 19.5km (12 miles) at its narrowest point. Hazards: Swimmers must cross an extremely strong current between the Sea of Japan and the Pacifi c Ocean, large swells and abundant marine life, from sharks to deadly sea snakes and large blooms of squid. Also busy boat traffi c and water can be between 16-20˚C. Window of opportunity: July to September. Outcome: Swimmers are swept long distances due to the extraordinarily strong currents fl owing from the Sea of Japan to the Pacifi c Ocean. They are also challenged by occasional patches of cold water that fl ow up from the depths. Additional information: Only four confi rmed solo crossings and two confi rmed solo double-crossings have been achieved to date.
"The Daily News of Open Water Swimming wanted to create an unprecedented goal for marathon swimmers," said the website’s associate editor Mike Lewis. "Something so challenging, so far-reaching and so outlandishly diffi cult that it would take years to accomplish."
THE CHALLENGE
As with its mountaineering equivalent, the Ocean’s Seven challenge requires planning, time, fi nancial resources and multi-national support teams of knowledgeable experts. It includes 104 miles of swimming in both cold and warm water. Sharks and stinging creatures are likely to be encountered and months of logistics are required. Even in the best scenario, swimmers can wait for months or years for the right conditions and pilots to help them across these channels.
7. STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR
Diffi culty: Location: Strait between Spain and Morocco that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Shortest point is between Punta Oliveros in Spain and Punta Cires in Morocco. Distance: 14.4km (8mi) across an eastern fl ow of water from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Hazards: An average current of 3 knots (5.5km per hour). Heavy boat traffi c, logistical barriers and surface chop confront swimmers throughout each at empt. Window of opportunity: June to October. Outcome: Its boundaries were known in antiquity as the Pillars of Hercules, and the currents remain of Herculean strength. Water conditions and high winds make the conditions unpredictable. Additional information: Most at empts are made from Tarifa Island due to the infl uence of strong currents, which is a distance of 18.5-22km (10-12mi).
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And it is not enough to be physically prepared: sponsorship or self-fi nancing is required. Planning, logistics and fundraising can absorb more hours than training in the water. Boats, crews, hotels, planes, food and equipment need to be sorted out well in advance. Dozens of swimmers are currently training, strategising and self-
fi nancing their way to achieve this goal. Although some of them just want to complete the seven within their budget and time-frame, others desperately want to be fi rst. For this reason, many of them like to keep their plans confi dential. "We fully expect someone to complete all seven swims within three years," predicted Lexie Kelly, reporter for The Daily News of Open Water Swimming. "Some are get ing close. As one individual approaches this goal, there will be others with the same dream. Even though camaraderie and collegiality are the hallmarks of swimmers, there seems to be a healthy dose of friendly rivalry between some swimmers.” No mat er who is the fi rst to complete it, the Ocean’s Seven is an
outrageous goal – and one incredible way to experience the harsh realities of marathon swimming. ○
Photo © Philip Capper
Photo © Robert Bovington
Photo © Alljal
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