Open Water

Links to:

English Channel

Cadiz Freedom Swim

Brian Curtis Mile

FINA World Champs - Roberval, Canada

Natalie du Toit

DSG Channel swim

Westenra swim 1912

Open Water Swimming
South Africa is home to a thriving community of dedicated open water swimmers - both in long distance events and competitive mile races. Distance swimming In 1899 when Henry Charteris Hooper swam from Robben Island to the old Cape Town, starting a tradition cold water long distance swimming. The swim from Muizenberg to Fishoek was completed by the Hon Richard Westenra in Febraury 1912. In the Cape distance swimming is run by Cape Swim, while a national competition circuit is run by the national swimming body Swim SA - The Swim Challenge Series. The Seals Midmar Mile, held annually in the Natal Midlands since 1974, is today billed as the world's largest open water race - attracting over 20 000 swimmers in 2009, while the Red House River Mile has been going since 1924! Since Hooper in 1909, others have completed the swim to obben Island - Peggy Duncan (1926), Florrie Bernolt (1926), Mercedes Gleitz (1932), Astra Winckler (1935), Frank Lotz (1935), W. Slater (1935), Beth Wiid (1955), Eva Grant (1962), Amanda Basson (1969), Correen Swanepoel (1977) and Dudley Levine (1983). Crossing the English Channel remains the most famous of distance swimming achievements - and the first South African to achieve this was Margaret (Peggy) Duncan in 1930. Since then many more have conquered the Channel. Aside from conquering the Channel, swimmers from South Africa have also excelled in making successful crossings in many challenging locations. Recently Veteran swimmer Ram Barkai of Cape Town has made history after completing a one kilometer swim in an Antarctic lake, considered the most southerly swim in the world as it took place at 70 degrees latitude. Lewis Pugh - born in the UK but educated at St Andrews in Grahamstown and taught to swim in SA was the first person to swim around Cape Agulhas (the southern-most point in Africa), the Cape of Good Hope, and the Cape Peninsula (a 100km (62m) swim from Cape Town to Muizenberg). Pugh was also the first person to swim across an African Great Lake, namely Lake Malawi.

Open water Mile Races South Africa boats the world biggest open water race - the Midmar Mile, which attracted more than 20 000 swimmers in 2009. It also hosts one of the oldest races - the Redhouse River Mile, swam annually since 1924. Other long distance events that no longer take place include the Buffalo River Mile in East London and the 5mile Enduro Swim, also formerly held in the Swartkops river near Redhouse. Today the Cadiz Freedom Swim (Table Bay map below) is considered to be one of the toughest, most extreme long distance cold water sea swim races in the world - 7.5km across the famous Robben Island channel, known for its bitterly cold water (around 13 degrees) and strong, unpredictable currents. There is also the Brian Curtis Mile swim in Elgin. FINA Open Water events FINA - the world swimming body, hosts the 6th edition of the FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships, which will be organised from July 15-23, 2010 in Roberval, Canada. After Honolulu, Hawaii (USA, 2000), Sharm El Sheikh (EGY, 2002), Dubai (2004, UAE), Naples (ITA, 2006) and Seville (ESP, 2008), this competition will once more gather the best athletes in this demanding discipline. Roberval has a long tradition in organising open water events and its race in Lac St-Jean is one of the most emblematic in the international circuit. SwimSouth Africa, the governing body of competitive swimming in the country, hosts an annual programme of open water races, part of the international open water competition circuit. It has a full calendar of races throughout the country, with the 10km race also now an Olympic event. South African Natalie du Toit (below) is one of the most famous international swimmers - with her successes as a para-olympic swimmers competing in the standard Olympic and FINA events. On May 3, 2008, Du Toit qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after finishing fourth in the 10km open water race at the Open Water World Championships in Seville, Spain. Her time was only 5.1 seconds off the winner in a race that made its first Olympic appearance in Beijing.[5] At the Beijing Olympics women's 10 km race, she finished in 16th place, 1:22.2 minutes behind the winner. She also took part in the 2008 Summer Paralympics, winning 5 Gold Medals.[6]

Yach pak 30km se yswater aan 2009-10-19 Theodore Yach, een van Suid-Afrika se legendariese kouewater en langafstand-swemmers berei hom tans voor vir ‘n 29.5km dag lange swemstryd in die ysige Atlantiese-seewater van Kaapstad. Yach (51) gaan Desember die koue water aandurf om die eerste persoon te wees wat dié roete sal swem. Die swemsessie skop in Drieankerbaai af, strek om die hele Robbeneiland en eindig weer in dieselfde baai. Hy gaan slegs ‘n gewone swemskostuum dra, ‘n swemkappie en swembrille. Die geleentheid word jaarliks sedert 2001 gehou om geld vir die Vista Nova-skool vir kinders met spesiale behoeftes in te samel. Yach gaan sowat 12 ure in haai-besette seewater met 'n temperatuur van 12°C swem. Peter Bales die voorsitter van die Kaapse Langafstand-swemvereniging het die roete vergelyk met dié een wat die Engelse Kanaal oorsteek wat beskou word as die “Everest” van oopwater-sembyeenkomste. Die Engelse Kanaal is wel ‘n paar kilometer langer, maar Yach se roete gaan baie kouer wees. Yach hou tans die wêreldrekord vir die swemmer wat die roete tussen Robbeneiland en die vasteland sowat 54 keer al geswem het. Hy het ook in 1996 die Engelse kanaal in 14 uur en 25 minute voltooi.		'Madman' conquers False Bay Cape Argus - February 16, 2004. A Cape Town swimmer braved choppy seas and strong winds to become the first South African to swim across False Bay. Steve Klugman, 39, of Sea Point, has already swum to and from Robben Island and crossed the English Channel. Yesterday he completed the 34km between Rooi Els and Miller's Point in 14 hours and 15 minutes. And why did he do it? "I am mad in the head. I am insane." This is only the second time that anyone has completed the swim from Rooi Els to Miller's Point. Belgian Annemie Landmeters completed the swim in the 1980s. Klugman began swimming when he was six years old, but started taking long-distance swimming seriously about three years ago. "I've wanted to do this for for a long time. I thought yesterday was a good day, but it was actually the wrong day to do it." Conditions were "atrocious" because the sea was choppy and the strong wind disorientated him. "It was not that bad when I started, but after four and a half hours the conditions deteriorated. I should have given up then." He said if he had attempted the swim on a good day it would only have taken nine and a half hours. Despite the tough swim, Klugman was elated when it was successfully over. "It is fantastic and I am glad I've done it." And would he do it again? "Never. For those who are looking at doing it, good luck!" The swim raised funds for the Red Cross Children's Hospital and was made possible by Master Currency.
Carina Bruwer		Barend Nortje and Steve Klugman