![]() "This swim is certainly less established than many other European strait crossings such as the English Channel, Gibraltar, Messina and Hellespont, with no real organisation or established pilots on either side for swimmers to turn to." Locals in Northern Sardinia refer to the Clacci brothers (Ruggero & Paolo) from Rome as being the first swimmers known (from the Italian side at least) to successfully complete the crossing in 1958 when they landed in Sardinia with Ruggero finishing just three seconds ahead of his brother." "Locals in Northern Sardinia refer to the Clacci brothers (Ruggero & Paolo) from Rome as being the first swimmers known (from the Italian side at least)." However in this case historical records are hard to come by on either side of the strait and no official annals seems to have been kept for successful crossings. When considering a swim, I always like to look at historical precedent and what, if anything, has been achieved before. There’s also the pull of crossing between two of Europe’s major countries. ![]() "Due to its powerful winds the strait isn’t the easiest place for swimming, which (to me) makes the crossing all the more attractive. More recently, the breaking up of the tanker, MV Erika, in a heavy storm caused an environmental disaster in 1999, the ramifications of which are still being felt locally to this day." "One such storm led to the notorious sinking of the French frigate Semillante, which sank with nearly 700 hands when it was on its way to the Crimea but hit the Lavessi Islands in the north eastern part of the strait in 1855. Due to the mountainous nature of both islands and the prevailing westerly wind direction the islands can literally funnel the wind through the strait to generate powerful gales." "Dividing the French Island of Corsica and the Italian Island of Sardinia is the Strait of Bonifacio, a 12km wide stretch of water that has a fearsome reputation among sailors the world over. Simon Murie (Bonifacio Strait – Corsica to Sardinia) Reggie Lang (Bosphorus Cross Continental Race)Ĥ1.Dr Nick Murch (Long Distance Training Camp, Mallorca).Olivia Weatherill (Musandam Peninsula, Oman).Benjamin McIvor (Baltic Lakes, Lithuania).Kate Matwychuk (Sea of Cortez, Baja California).Ricky & Sian (Corfu to Sivota Bay Retreat).Kate Todd (English Channel, England & France).Bronwen Puleston-Jones (Rottnest Channel, Australia).Ann Hartland (Dalmatian Coast, Croatia).George English (Tremiti Islands, Italy).Gary Emich (Alcatraz, San Francisco - 1000 crossings).Sian and Telly (Baltic Lakes, Lithuania).Louise Twining Ward (British Virgin Islands).Simon Murie (Bonifacio Strait – Corsica to Sardinia).Keep an eye out for all our latest entries - released on our blog every Thursday! And expect another fantastic selection of stunning swim locations around the world, as well as many life-changing feats accomplished in the waters of our blue planet. We're back! A New Year heralds Part Three of our global feature series, bringing you mythic tales and water-loving stories from our favourite open water swimmers around the world. ![]()
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