Svøm for livet!

11.49 – Maxim drink and gel given. Tanker crossed our bows, not far off, on passage up channel. Didn’t get its name as it coincided with feed time. Sun now trying to breakout, perhaps it will cheer up this grey day. Sea appears to be decreasing slightly.

12.05 – L.P.G. Tanker passes off our stern.

12.15 – L.D.Lines ferry passed on starboard side on route to Boulogne.

12.20 – Maxim + 1/2 banana given. Wind now gone round to the east F3.

12.50 – Maxim + 1/2 banana, Ray (pilot) says we are about 3 1/2 miles off of Cape Griz Nez.

13.20 – Maxim drink given.

13.49 – Maxim drink + 1/2 banana given, having hoped for a landing at Cape Griz Nez the tide turned, Ray now looking for a landing further along the coast towards Wissant.

14.20 – Maxim drink given, Sønnøve and Sarah raise their national flag to spur Stian on, there is much shouting of encouragement.
Onboard the support team seem more disappointed about missing Cape Griz Nez than Stian who is still going strong.

14.48 – Maxim drink, banana + energy gel given

15.20 – 29,2 miles covered
Everyone is now getting excited as we make our way towards Wissant beach they can see that the end should not be far away.

16.05 – Sønnøve prepares herself to enter the water to swim the last 100 or so yards with Stian.

16.09 – Sønnøve entered the water on the starboard side.

16.17 – Stian completed his swim by leaving the water and walking up the beach at Wissant dunes followed by Sønnøve.
A small crowd of people who were taking the sea air on the beach gathered around out of curiosity and to offer their congratulations.

Stian and Sønnøve swam back to Sea Venture 2 and at 16.27 Ray headed back towards Dover with a very happy Stian stowed safely on board.

The journey back was uneventful although still a bit loppy, Sonnove and Sarah slept most of the way on chairs on the open deck, whilst Stian and brother Magne chose the small forward cabin area to rest.

We entered the Dover Western Docks at 18.38 and made our way back to the pontoon which we had left in the very early hours of the morning.
We berthed astern of the dover lifeboat at 18.45 .

After more heartly congratulations and thanks all round we departed Sea Venture 2 at 18.50 hrs.

Thanks for your report observer Roy Knell. Best regards Stian.

As we were one of the later starters the other escort boats were somewhat distant, there was not much shipping activity about so it seemed we had the whole place to ourselves.

02.25 – First stroke rate taken at 54 per min.

03.00 – Stian’s forst drink stop, maxim in a red illuminated beaker. The sea was still quite loppy, still an absence of shipping movements.

03.23 – First proper lattitude and longitude taken along with sea and air temperatures.

03.35 – Maxim given again, still very much on our own, all escort boats are just lights in the distance.

04.08 – Maxim drink and energy bar given.

04.33 – Maxim gel given, Stian swimming well and stroke rate consistant, verbal encouragement given by his onboard supporters (I assume it was encouragement as i dont understand norwegian ) Sea conditions now quite loppy.

05.05 – Positive signs of dawn breaking.

05.12 – Maxim drink given again + 1/2 banana. Some deepening troughs now and quite lumpy but Stian swimming very well. Sønnøve Cirotzki herself a successfull channel swimmer tells me there is no doubt about Stian completing this swim, he’s trained long and hard and is very motivated.

05.40 – Some Ferry movements in the distance, a gas/chemical tanker passes astern.

05.41 – Maxim drink + 1/2 banana given.

05.49 – Entered the S/W shipping lane but you wouldn’t know it as there is a lack of shipping in our area. Still loppy , everyone having to hold on with one hand.

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