Channel Success!!

Sister Jenny Whalley's Story:

After an interesting night swaying with not much sleep and lots of time to reflect on our incredible experience on the 18^th August 2009, I thought I would jot down a few things while fresh in my mind. We took to the English Channel waters with great aspiration of completing a Swim across the channel; the aim to raise money for homeless children. Our team, we were asked to give it a name but I am not sure if we ever did come up with one, consisted of three students; Trishan Vaikuntathanan, George Benfield and James Lyne and three staff, Steve Blosse, Eunice Gilliam and Me Jenny Whalley.

The boat was called the Viking Princess, and it was a feast to our eyes. This huge boat double the size of our first 2 boats that had previously attempted to cross, was a shrimper. Not being a ‘boat’ person and knowing little of the terminology to describe boats forgive me if I get this wrong. We had a fully kitted out galley under the deck, interesting little toilet but toilet none the less.  The pilot’s cabin was toward the back of the boat leaving us up front to hold onto rope strung across the various beams as the boat rolled over the swirls, some 8 ft; the aftermath of passing cargo ships

The boat’s captain, or pilot as he was referred to, certainly took on the nature of the boat. He had one significant gold earring hanging from his left lobe and as Steve commented “looked like he had dropped out of the film the Pirates of the Caribbean”. His crew man was this shy unassuming man who was just there when at the worst moments help was needed. He had a smile which was really intriguing as it showed an arrangement of multicoloured cream and black teeth with the odd gaps. 

Then there was Mike, the Channel Swimming Association Observer, a rather colourful character with rather colourful language and an interesting sense of Humour. His moustache twirled up each side of a goatee beard. He never stopped jesting, sometimes a bit cruel, or too close to the truth one could say. Camera in one hand food in the other he observed the time each person was in the water off a mobile phone. His timing was not that accurate in my mind as his indication of five minutes left in the water went on for a bit longer than 5 minutes. My recollection was observing him eagerly, as I am sure each swimmer did, with each breath taken waiting for the sight of the next swimmer ‘to take position on top of the ladder’ and ‘piss’ off”, often with raucous laugh; I did say his language was colourful.

The order of swimmers was set and that was the order we had to follow Trishan in first, he swam to the beach and we were off 17 minutes later than the tide change. Trishan passed the other boat, 4^th Wellington boat, with, should I call this, the ‘A’ Team and their first swimmer already well settled into a good swimming rhythm, equally determined to make it to the other side. Trishan’s second swim, as he entered the water, were hit by a huge swirl that turned the boat way over onto its side and back again several times. Nobody saw that coming but he rode the swirls safely and completed the hour.  A classic moment was a view of Trishian hung over the chair sideways hanging onto a banana peel, fast to sleep, trying to combat motion sickness nausea determined that nothing was going to stop him swimming again.

 I was in next as number two and it was amazing. I surpassed my every expectation as a much larger and older swimmer and perhaps not as quick, I swam a mile in an hour with a stroke rate of 52 per minute. Our top Swimmers George and James’s stroke rate was 64. My second hour swim was plagued with cramping calf muscles and a headache which I hope never to experience again. I would have given up I think if it had not been for the incredible supporting team. Viewed with each breath taken shouting encouragement and timing, 25 minute left and when the last painful 9 minutes I completed my hour.  With great relief, James on the top of the step was enough to assure me I had made the right decision to complete my swim, and ensure the team swam on.

 James was the 3rd swimmer. When James swims he breaths off one side so the side of the boat he swam off was important. Unfortunately the side he chose was unprotected by the boat and the fall force of the wind played havoc with his swimming and breathing; succumbing to the conditions he had to swap sides. He still managed to cover a few miles in the 2 hours he swam. 

 Steve, the fourth, swam his first hour and only 7 minutes of his second swim before he was summoned back into the boat. Mike (the ‘observer’) had voiced his concerns. The tide was pushing us backwards and he did not think we had a chance of getting across. Also at this stage George, whom Mike had nicked named Mr Bucket, was still sick and Trishian, ‘the cocoon’ was curled up in a sleeping bag unwell.

 George was the 5th swimmer. He was unfortunately sea sick almost from the beginning even having taken the recommended anti seasickness tablets clad with homeopathic arm bands on each wrist. Commendably he swam his first hour retching and being sick throughout his swim. Lesser a person would have given up then, but he stuck it out and swam 2 miles in his hour. Once out of the water his core temperature plummeted and although we managed to revive his temperature back 37 degrees, he could not keep anything down.  He was unfortunate, but we could not allow him to swim again in his condition

Eunice who only started swimming 18 months ago swam her first hour; an incredible feat as she stuck to it, stroke for stroke throughout the swim over the swirls which she feared the most. Out in the middle, it is very choppy the swirls are not that high but constant. This is because the channel in the middle is shallow and as a result large bits of floating seaweed, pulled off the bottom adorned the surface. It is very pretty pale brown/ orange but it is quite daunting swimming through these masses wondering what lurking in-between. In the deeper areas we saw a few jelly fish; they passed close to the boat and nowhere near the swimmers who were approximating 8 to 10 meters away from the boat side.

 After 9 hours 7 minutes of swimming with great relief and a huge respect for ourselves and each other for what we had each personally achieved, a mutual decision was made to call it a day and we headed back to port. Peter Whalley came to fetch us in the minibus and we laughed and chatted excitedly reminiscing about our experience. 

Only 16 percent of people who attempt the channel succeed. One boat out of the 4 Wellington college Staff/ Pupil teams made it across So I guess one would call us all winner, as a school we attempted something that was no easy feat and we succeeded. Wellington swam the Channel from Dover to the beaches of France in an in an incredible 12 hours 18 minutes.

We have raised both offline and on line an incredible £46,755.50 for Hope for Homes. http://www.justgiving.com/wellingtonchannelswim/ A warm heartfelt thank you to all who have donated