The Isle of Wight Marlins Masters Swim Club has everything crossed that this year’s Pier2Pier Sea Swim Challenge will go ahead as planned on Saturday (30th July).
To the frustration of all, the annual event had to be cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic and was scrapped in 2021 due to the rough sea conditions.
Fortunately, almost all of the 150 entrants have stayed loyal and are gearing up for the Sandown to Shanklin swim. There will be 64 male and 84 female swimmers of which 102 are from the mainland and 46 Islanders.
The swim will get underway at 12:45 from the beach to the west of Sandown Pier. Swimmers will cross The Bay to the beach outside the Shanklin Rowing Club clubhouse, which is 50 yards from the old Shanklin Pier which was lost in 1987.
For safety, volunteers from Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat and Ryde Inshore Rescue will be on the water alongside members of the Shanklin Deep Sea Fishermen and around 20 independent kayakers and canoeists.
Bob Cooper, the Marlins Safety Officer, has said:
“A lot of work by our members and volunteers has gone into the event and it will be so good to see the mass start with the men entering first and the ladies 2 mins later.
“This event is approaching it’s 70th year and with the assistance of the Island kayakers and canoeists we have been able to build up to the strength and kudos that the event now holds in a lot of adventurous swimmers from around the country.”
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The first swimmers should be at Shanklin by 13:05.
