Swim the Solent for the Samaritans Swim the Solent 21st July 2010.
The swim takes place each year at the end of July as the national Samaritan fundraising day is July 24th to emphasise that Samaritans are open 24:7.
The swim date is when the tides are most favourable nearest to that day, and it takes place early in the morning when there is least traffic on the Solent. This year it will be on Wednesday July 21st starting from Hurst Castle at 5.45 am and arriving at Colwell from 6.15 am onwards. The distance is a mile and a quarter, so swimmers must be fit and able to swim that distance in not a great deal more than an hour.
The two Freshwater Lifeboats and some Ribs (Rigid Inflatable Boats) accompany the swimmers, and there are also kayaks to guide the swimmers who are paired up according to how long it takes them to swim the distance in the pool, 90 lengths of a 25 metre pool. The Lifeboats and Ribs take swimmers over from Yarmouth and drop them in at Hurst and they swim from there. There are free breakfasts and tee shirts waiting for them at Colwell.
Each swimmer is asked to raise at least £500 – £1,000 in sponsorship as this is IW Samaritans’ chief fundraiser of the year and we are very short of funds. This can be done through the JustGiving site on www.justgiving.com/isleofwightsamaritans and/or a paper form with GiftAid boxes to tick.
To apply to take part in Swim the Solent 2010 please complete the online application form here.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions on Swim the Solent are available here.
Download Swim the Solent 2010 poster in PDF format
Download Swim the Solent 2010 flyer and sponsor form in PDF format
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