EVENING Friday 20th July 2012

 US all in together - 5 minutes later it was simply nuts out there

On the way back to the Marina (about half a mile out) and the waves were gone!!

Whoa what an evening.  My relay team and I met on James’s boat at 3pm and headed about 4-5 miles out to sea.  James, as part of the relay swim tream, brought along with Wife and a Friend to act as Pilot and Co-Pilot; cool characters they were as well; undaunted by 6 of us jumping of their boat.  It was basically “choppy” right from the moment we left the Marina and ended up being force 6 & force 7 gales throughout.  It turns out that in a force 7 gale it is much nicer in the sea than on the boat! 

Once we were in position 3 of the team (Lindy, Alex & Lois – Lois is our new member and acting as our backup member if anyone can’t make it on the day – she is 14!!!) all got changed into their costumes and then launched themselves with a leap of the back of the boat into the ocean.  It was particularly impressive watching a 14 year old slight of a girl such as Lois jump from a boat in the middle of the ocean straight into a force 6 storm.  Whilst the rest of us hung onto the boat for dear life, they simply got on with the job at hand and swum for an hour. 

A short 55 minutes later, Myself, James and Shoichi were standing at the backing our trunks and ready to jump.  On the hour we jumped in and swam passed them and then they clambered out.  By this point the sea was at force 7 and the boat was a roller coaster.  The actual swim itself was fine, almost enjoyable; it is certainly different swimming in that tpe of sea way out in the middle of the ocean compared to our swims around the piers.  Due to the crazy conditions it wasn’t possible for James, Shoichi and I to stay together and very quickly we became a challenge to the boat; them trying to somehow stay near 3 of us when we were all literally 150 metres apart in rolling waves – they did a tremendous job.  I have to say that at times when I could barley see the other two and the boat was a few hundred metres away I did feel somewhat vulnerable and did wonder on what would happen if they lost me.  After the hour they called the whistle and came to collect us.  By the time I was coming out, last of course, the boat was being thrown about so much that I have to keep swimming away from it for fear of it being dropped back down on me.  Once safely abroad it was then that the fun and games started.  James, Shoichi and I were downstairs in the cabin area trying to get dry and change into warm clothes whilst the boat was doing acrobatics.  It took a good 40 minutes to get dressed and in that time I had the pleasure of meeting each wall and corner of the boat several times; each one leaving me with a bruise as a momento.  Back on deck I found that out of all the people on board, only Fiona, James, Shoichi and I were not sick or feeling sick.  This is no slight on anyway else as it is by no means shameful to feel ill in a boat in a rolling gale force wind; but it shows how much harder it is on the boat than in the sea.

 This experience, which was fantastic for us all to have, really showed me that a Relay is a tough challenge and should not be taken lightly.  I have at times felt that changing from a solo to a relay was somehow an easy option – I shall now take that right back!  A relay is a massive challenge – hence so far this year only having one successful team.  For me having only been swimming for 2 years it is perhaps even more of a challenge; although for my team having me as a novice swimmer is a challenge for them.  All of this and Lois our 14 year old took it in her stride; impressive to say the very least!