Insanely cool. She's on the homestretch. Over 160k already swam in a bit over 38 hours.

That is mega.

160 km in 38 hrs implies about 4200 m/hr, or 1:25 per 100 m, or 1:17 per 100 yds. That is just an unbelievable pace for that length of time, and it is especially incredible for swimming in 50-55* F (10-13*C) degree water, with no wetsuit, through the waves and current in the Channel. She is just an incredible D swimmer.

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She is indeed an incredible swimmer, but a couple things:

• The distance reported on the tracking page is the track total, which includes a lot of tidally-generated movement up and down the channel. Actual swimming distance is closer to the shortest line across the channel - 20 miles per lap.
• Water temp is 18C (64F)

Averaging faster than a 1 hour Ironman swim.... 44 times in a row (so far).

She is indeed an incredible swimmer, but a couple things:

• The distance reported on the tracking page is the track total, which includes a lot of tidally-generated movement up and down the channel. Actual swimming distance is closer to the shortest line across the channel - 20 miles per lap.
• Water temp is 18C (64F)//

Thanks for pointing out a couple of the variances of OW swimming. When she finishes, the 80+ miles she will have done will be incredible for swimming in salt water, and perhaps a record in that venue? I know the last overall records were done in fresh water, a completely different world from open ocean. All one has to do is look at the tracks she is swimming across each time. The timing that her and her team must have gone through to get favorable tides, would have been a real challenge. They have to figure tides and probable swim times, get it wrong just a little bit, and she could be swimming into an endless pool for hours on end..


And although 64 is not mid 50's, that long in it is certainly a factor, even for the hard core cold water swimmers. My buddy got cold in mid 60's after 24 hours, and that can wear on you. But I guess the ladies are supposed to be a lot better in this regard, so perhaps she is fine with that temp. She certainly is doing very well, bet her tongue is the size of a potato now though..

It will be the first four-way English Channel solo (there have been 4 previous three-way swims, not including the one Sarah just finished). 80 miles would be the longest distance swum in saltwater without a current assist.


source: https://db.marathonswimmers.org/longest-swims


Absolutely right - 45-50 hours in 64F water is astoundingly difficult even for seasoned cold water swimmers.

There was one other attempt at a 4-way crossing, that ended prematurely. When (not if) she finishes, she will be the only person that has ever finished the 4-way crossing. This is incredible in a lot of ways.

Another issue of semantics: Chloe McCardel announced a 4-way attempt in 2017, but the swim ended shortly after 2 legs completed. Sarah is the first swimmer to complete 3 legs and then continue swimming into the 4th.

Once again, thanks for keeping this thread honest, nothing bugs me more when things are blown up out of proportion, or just reported in a manner that is not accurate..

Is the tracker working for everyone, for the last hour or so it has not been loading for me??

There original tracker URL is overloaded, but the mirror pages are working:

• https://track.rs/ssthomas1
• https://track.rs/ssthomas2
• https://track.rs/ssthomas3
• https://track.rs/ssthomas4

Anyone know if she is doing flip turns?

Yeah I've noticed that the social media traffic on her has really picked up in the last couple of hours so that's likely driving traffic to the site. It'll be interesting to find out later why she's taken that huge turn to the SW. I assume it's a reaction to conditions.

Tide change

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Hope (assume) it means there will be more of a Noth/eastward current once closer to Blighty.

Quite a lot of articles on the past few hrs over here.

I hope it is the tide swinging her so for south, from the previous laps, she hadn't gone that far out of the way to get across. Looks like swimming wise she is 65% across on the last lap, but of course tidal conditions can play havoc with those last miles. And you can see what tides can do to a swim like this, she is about to be 120 miles into it, and when all said and done, get credit for about 80 miles. You get the point to point mileage on these swims, as this accounts for any favorable currents one way or the other..

For those that have swam or watched a lot of swimmers do this swim, is it usually such a side current? Or are there days one just gets to go pretty much straight across? How about when the guy did like 6 hours??

Go Sarah!!!!!!

Has she stopped, my tracker is stuck at 47;50, and the dot is no longer blinking?? Man I hope not, but so much can go wrong this long into a swim like this, and of course it has never been done before either...

What did I mistype? (genuinely asking what the semantics difference is) -
..announced a 4 way attempt, swim ended shortly after 2 legs...
vs
..one other attempt at a 4-way crossing, that ended prematurely...


both statements say the same thing no?

What did I mistype? (genuinely asking what the semantics difference is) -
..announced a 4 way attempt, swim ended shortly after 2 legs...//

I believe since we have hindsight of the actual swim, and it wasn't even close(around 50%) , that it really was not a serious attempt. Kind of like our favorite gal here that was going to do 50 ironman in 50 days, in 50 different states. She set out to do it, but missed on day 2 I think it was. So in hindsight, not really a serious attempt, and not worth mentioning in the context of the original goal..

Now not comparing her swimming to this others lofty goals at all, she is a serious swimmer who could one day do 4 crossings. Just if you dont even finish 3 and start the 4th, kind of hard to call it a 4 channel crossing attempt(0n that day). Just to go a bit further, what if she only finished 1/2 of the first leg, would that change your thinking on a 4 channel crossing, or do you just go with whatever someone says they are going to do regardless?? (genuinely asking))

And tracker is moving again, so she is still going for it!!

Exactly - in the unspoken ethics of marathon swimming, it's not really a "4-way attempt" unless you finish 3 ways and keep swimming. Otherwise it's just words.

She's still going. If you're using the original tracker (not the mirrors), you have to refresh to see new data.

I understand your point, however given that Chloe had previously completed a triple crossing and the intention, planning, logistics, etc was all geared toward swimming the quadruple, it certainly was a serious, if ill-fated attempt.

Oh man, she is getting so close, but those tidal lines are getting so pronounced. I sure hope it is just a chip shot to shore from here for her, she has to be getting super tired and cold at the 50 hour mark here. Now I have a question, can she just go to any spot on the shore for the swim to count, or does she have to get to that exact spot where she started?? I know for Catalina here, you just have to get across the channel and touch land anywhere. I used to see guys coming in 8 miles south of the usual finish, following a prevailing current. And they would have to fight to make land at San Pedro Cabrillo beach, miss that one, and you have to keep swimming across the entrance to LA harbor, and find a spot way down in Long Beach...

So assuming she could just turn to short anywhere if the tide screws with her to the point she is not moving, or even going sideways or backwards?

Truly a mind blowing feat. I don’t see how someone can stand that cold water for so long. I wonder what her feeding strategy is.

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Let food be thy medicine...