Herm swimmers beat target for there, around and back

Jacqueline Hunt, Louise Smith, Lois Rawlings, Justine Riley and Adrian Sarchet accomplished the three-part swim well inside their target time of 18 hours, and for good measure they made it a round 18 kilometres by taking a slightly extended route back.

The group was supported by a team of kayakers and guard boats plus several people on land, some of whom joined the five for part of their route.

They set out from Guernsey at 2.20 yesterday morning, and on arriving in Herm spent the rest of the night in a marquee provided by The White House Hotel before setting out around the island just after 9am.

The final leg of their journey saw them leaving Herm at 3.20pm, the one which all agreed was the toughest part of the challenge.

Miss Hunt was one of the first three to reach Guernsey, a short while ahead of the others, but turned around to swim back to the other two and accompany them in.

She and Mrs Smith were the instigators of the idea, which was organised by Guernsey Swim Adventures and has raised more than £10,000 for This is Epic and The Guernsey Society for Cancer Relief.

‘That swim back seemed to take forever,’ said Mrs Smith, whose longest swim to date was 10k.

‘The swim to Herm in the dark was absolutely amazing, we had moonlight and stars.’

Miss Hunt said that that leg was the smoothest conditions she had ever swum in.

She has already accomplished other long-distance swims locally, including racing – and beating – the man-powered Boaty McBoatFace to Sark.

She turns 50 this year and her goal is to swim 50k, although she will probably end up doing more.

Channel swimmer Mr Sarchet, who is attempting to complete the Oceans Seven challenge, had not swum much of the route before.

‘I absolutely loved it,’ he said, although he added that it presented a different challenge to one long-distance swim by being split into three parts.

Mrs Rawlings said the most she had swum before was about eight kilometres. ‘I quite like it a bit choppy,’ she said of the swim back to Guernsey. ‘The waves were definitely higher on the way back.’

All five said they had enjoyed the event, despite getting about three hours’ sleep in 48 hours.

But Mrs Riley said she had been disappointed by one thing: ‘I’d really hoped to see dolphins.'

n The Herm swim’s Just Giving page is at bit.ly/2MizbUx