Waiting

Tuesday evening, biking by the harbour, I was almost shocked: for the first time since I was back in Dover, the French coast was visible again - so clear, so near, almost in grasping distance.

Next day my two helpers for the boat arrived, Bea and Sumeru from Austria and Zurich, and we moved to Varne Ridge Caravan Park, where a whole Channel swimmer community is staying. A couple from Australia (Carol wants to come on my boat as a helper and support swimmer to get more Channel experience), Enda from Ireland, and the members of the Jersey-Australian Teens on the Move Sea-2-Sea Relay Team who made it only the other day (Aug. 6), barely missed by thunderstorms and lightning from three sides at the end of their swim in the night.

Sally Minty-Gravett, 4-time Channel swimmer in 4 decades from Jersey, coach of the Jersey girls and staying in the caravan next door, turned out to have swum exactly the same day as myself in 1985, on Sept. 9th. On that day all the faster swimmers had been held up by the French coastguards until the slower swimmers had caught up. Only then were they allowed to continue - otherwise she would have been quite a bit faster that year! We had a very nice conversation and of course took quite a few fotos.



With Sally Minty-Gravett, 4-times Channel soloist and caravan neighbour. We both swam on Sept. 9 in 1985, just like U.S. adventurer Steve Fossett, who needed 22 hours, and Philip Rush, who true to his name did a two-way in not even an hour more than I needed for a solo!

We feel like in heaven up here on top of the cliffs between Folkestone and Dover, with a fantastic view across the Channel to the French coast, with its lights glittering like diamonds in the evening. It helps us not to get too impatient waiting for the right weather. Last night it seems a few swimmers went out, I heard of one who got out of the water after only 3 hours because it was too cold for him(16.5 C water, "normal" temperature, i.e. what you have to be prepared for). Today around 3 p.m. in the afternoon more swimmers will go out, with quite a bit of wind pushing them, then calming down, but with a chance of stronger Southern winds in the morning. I still have to wait for my turn.

For the weekend it looks very windy, even Monday and Tuesday don't look too good right now, but things can always change.

Swim training is down to a minimum - two hours on Wednesday, quite fast for me in very calm water with Rashmi, the 18-year old Indian girl waiting to attempt a double. I was surprised to be able to keep up with her - confidence for a faster crossing than in 1985 is growing.



With my helpers Bea (Channel solo 2006) and Sumeru, a doctor from Austria

Yesterday, on Thursday, only one hour - all the time thinking "I am swimming in the wrong direction" - with the French coast visible in a haze in the distance, beckoning. Today again only one hour easy - like other swimmers who are waiting.

I was glad we had a chance to watch the Olympic opening ceremony - fascinating, at some points during the cultural part I had goosebumps. In spite of politics and pollution and drugs - there was a feeling something new is emerging, even if it will need time to grow.

Latest news: grim prospects even till Monday and later, some say for the whole tide! Will our prayers help? Or will it be similar to 1985, where my helpers had to come three times and I had to leave Dover in between? Coming back in September would be an option, if there is a place on a boat available. Plus it would stretch the budget quite a bit. But I cannot imagine training like this for another year... So let's at least stay optimistic!