Team of four tackle swim relay around the island
A TEAM of four avid swimmers have completed a relay swim around Guernsey.
Sisters Christine Van Der Spuy and Catherine Stefanutti from South Africa, Deborah Vine from Zimbabwe, and islander Justine Riley took just under 10 hours to do the swim as a relay last Wednesday.
The friends first met on swim camp and kept in touch.
In 2016 Catherine Stefanutti swam around Jersey, and Justine Riley swam around it in 2020.
Keen to take on another challenge, they decided to swim around Guernsey to celebrate Ms Van Der Spuy’s 60th birthday.
The team started their journey at St Martin’s point, and swam anti-clockwise around the island. They swam in hourly rotations alongside a boat, following English Channel swimming regulations.
This meant they could not wear wetsuits in the water, which was about 15 degrees at the time.
Ms Vine is a keen swimmer back in Zimbabwe. She said it was a great experience.
‘We had really nice conditions, it was perfect weather.’
A particular highlight was being able to see the stunning coastline as they made their way around the island.
‘It was honestly one of the most beautiful swims I have done in my life,’ she said.
‘I am absolutely in love with Guernsey.’
Mrs Riley said the only time they struggled was when she had to swim against the tide during one of her legs of the relay. But she said she had no regrets about taking part.
‘It was a fantastic swim,’ she said.
‘It was like glass all day long.’
The group even spotted a few dolphins off Vazon as they went along the west coast.
The South African sisters have plans to complete an English Channel relay in a team of six in the coming weeks.
The team said they would love to come back to complete more swims around the Channel Islands, perhaps tackling Herm and Sark in the future.
