From Bohol to the World
‘Pinoy Aquaman’ to swim
English Channel on Sun
And only a few people who try this succeed.
But for environmental lawyer and tri-athlete Ingemar
Macarine, who earned the moniker “Pinoy Aquaman”, he will attempt to swim the
English Channel at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 13 (August 13, 9:30 a.m.
Philippine Time).
If he succeeds Macarine, 41, will be the first Filipino
swimmer to swim across the Channel.
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Environmental lawyer Ingemar “Pinoy Aquaman” Macarine
will be the first Filipino swimmer who attempts
to swim the English Channel
which is considered as the "Mt. Everest"
of swimming on Sunday. He is
practising two hours a
day swimming in almost freezing water at Dover
Port. Photo by Leo Udtohan
|
The swim will be the first crossing by a Filipino swimmer
of the sea passage that separates the United Kingdom and France to test of
physical and mental strength and courage.
Fewer people have swum the English Channel than have
climbed Mount Everest.
Macarine, who is swimming to promote clean seas,
Philippine tourism and international friendship, spent two hours every day
since he arrived in the United Kingdom last July 30.
He said hopes to complete the 21-mile (34 km) swim in
under 15 hours.
The wind and weather are also a problem - as the Dover
Straits are prone to local weather conditions that can change very quickly and
which do not match the forecasts.
The water is nearly freezing water (15-16 degrees
Celsius) though Britons have anticipating summer this month.
“I have been training at the Dover Harbor for two hours
every day. The water temperature is around 16 degrees so it is very cold
compared to the Philippines where I trained in the 30 degree water
temperature,” said Macarine, an election officer of Tubigon town.
Hypothermia is an issue for swimmers, but swimmers are
unclothed and exposed to the elements unlike any other endurance athlete.
“Hypothermia would be my number one challenge as I am
used to the tropical waters of the Philippines,” he added.
 |
Captain Matthew Webb made the first unassisted
and
observed cross-channel swim in 1875;
he made landfall in 21 hours and 45
minutes.
Dover Museum
|
There are a lot of factors that combine to make the swim
hard but the cold is the biggest hurdle, said Eric Hartley of the Pathfinder
Charter and Channel Swimming Association (CSA) observer Keith Oiller.
Swimmers said that it's not about the distance since lot
of people can swim but the cold water.
Last Tuesday, a man died during an attempt to swim the
English Channel as part of a gruelling triathlon. Newspapers reported that
Douglas Waymark, 44 from Cheltenham, got into difficulty about half way across,
12 nautical miles from Dover.
Oiller said the tides are also hard to predict as they
are strong and change direction approximately every six hours.
They also change in height and flow speed every day.
There is also the problem of the number of ships using
these waters - because to go from England to France you have to swim across the
shipping lanes.
CSA requires swimmers to attempt the challenge clad in
nothing more than ordinary swimming trunks, swim cap, and goggles.
Wetsuits and other floating devices are absolutely not
allowed. The rules also dictate that a swimmer should not touched the boat nor
can be touched by another person during the entire course of the swim.
 |
Your VRS with
(l) Channel Swimming Association (CSA)
observer Keith Oiller, coach Roel
Catoto,
Lawyer Ingemar Macarine and Eric Hartley
of the Pathfinder Charter at
Dover Marina.
|
Ever since Captain Matthew Webb's first successful
Channel swim in 1875, thousands of swimmers have attempted to emulate his feat.
Most are content to complete the swim, others are determined to set new
records.
It all started in 1872 when JB Johnson tried to swim the
Channel, but failed, abandoning his attempt after 1 hour and 3 minutes. Reading
of his exploits, Captain Webb (1848-1883) became inspired to try it in 1875 for
21 hours and 45 minutes.
Since then, interest has grown in Channel swimming, and
there is always a waiting list of people booking places with pilots from the Channel
Swimming Association and the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation in the
hope of adding their names to the list of those who achieve it.
So far 1,753 swimmers have made a total of 2,280 solo
crossings across the channel since 1875, according to the CSA.
15 Things
you probably didn't know about
swimming
across the English Channel
Swimming the English Channel is a lot more complex than
it seems. Read on...
1. First recorded crossing of Channel was by an Italian
prisoner-of-war in 1817; Giovan Maria Salati made his escape from a prison
barge in Dover and swam to Boulogne using straw as a buoyancy aid.
2. Captain Matthew Webb made the first unassisted and
observed cross-channel swim in 1875; he made landfall in 21 hours and 45
minutes.
 |
Pinoy Aquaman “meet and greet” the Filipino community in
UK.
Photo by Leo Udtohan
|
3. In 1926, the American Gertrude Ederle (pictured)
became first woman to swim the Channel - her time was 14 hours and 34 minutes.
4. The record for fastest-ever cross-channel swim is held
by the Australian Trent Grimsey, who managed six hours and 55 minutes in 2012.
5. King of the English Channel is Kevin Murphy, with 34
solo crossings.
6. The Queen of English Channel Alison Streeter who swum
the English Channel 43 times - more than anyone else in the world.
7. For a swim to
be officially recognised, you must not be assisted by any kind of artificial
aid – and you are only permitted to use goggles, one cap, a nose clip, ear
plugs and one costume, that must be sleeveless and legless. For Macarine, he
will be using swimming cap, trunks and goggles.
8. You are allowed to grease yourself up for insulation.
Macarine will use sunblock.
9. You must enter the sea from the shore of departure and
finish on dry land at the other side, “or touch steep cliffs of the opposite
coast with no sea water”, according to the Channel Swimming Association,
founded in 1927, which regulates attempts.
10. Swimming the
Channel is not cheap and will set you back a few thousand pounds, the largest
chunk of which goes towards a registered pilot and escort boat. Macarine has
already spent £ 10,000 or half-million pesos. He swim is supported by the Philippine
Sports Commission thru Chairman William Ramirez, Commissioner Mon Fernandez
Maxi Green & Ramsey Quijano; COMELEC courtesy of Chairman Andres Bautista; Speedo
Philippines thru VP Manish Mahtani May Valentino Crissa Brozas; Maldita Man
thru Irene Chan; First Consolidated Bank
(FCB) thru Pres. Argeo Melisimo Pie Puerto;
Martello Building Consultancy thru Andy Cruttenden; Kennington Masonic
Lodge 1381 thru Worshipful Master Michael Duque Carmelo N. Rebolos; Bohol 2nd
Rep. Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado; and Sparklab.
11. The distance swum is approximately 34 kilometers (21
miles), but changes according to the current. Tides need to be taken into
account and most swimmers tackle a sort of S-shaped course.
12. Swimmers usually start at or near Shakespeare’s Cliff
or Samphire Hoe at Dover and aim to finish at Cap Gris Nez (between Boulogne
and Calais), France.
13. Because you
are not allowed to touch another human during the course of the swim, any fuel
in the way of food will be passed to you by a long pole from your escort boat.
That is feeding time.
14. The Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes in
the world, with 600 tankers and 200 ferries passing through every day. Your
escort and pilot’s job is to make sure you don’t get mowed down.
15. You must book one to two years ahead for a slot to
attempt a crossing. In the case of Macarine, he booked last year.
***
Thanks for your letters, all will be
answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohanINQ at
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