News

000 +++ News Letters +++ 000

Edited 23 Jul 2010

The latest news letter, which is designed to inform members of what's happening and also to remind members of future events can be read by clicking below.

2007 Mark swims Gibraltar Straits

Edited 2 Aug 2010

Mark Blewitt on (15-11-07) swam from GOZO to COMINO 2km as it was to rough to swim from Gozo to Malta.

On (04/10/07) swum the straits of Gibraltar. He spent the week waiting for good weather and completed the 8.75mile crossing in an excellent time of 4hours 10minutes. This makes it his second crossing this year the other was as a member of the 2way channel relay. Well done Mark.

Dolphins Crew the Loch

Submitted 15 Aug 2006

In the true spirit of Long Distance Swimming, our own Kevin, Lisa and Paul helped Kevin Sanders a swimming from another club achieve a tremendous success.

Well done.

A report on the swim is attached.

Frank Dockery - Steve's Dad

Submitted 31 Aug 2008

If you read back through the history or the annual reports of the club from 1979 to the mid 1980’s, you will come across the name of Steve Dockery. At the time he was the fastest open water swimmer in the country and was a member of our club.

Steve swam the channel on 9th Aug 1979 at the age of 16 in a time of 9hrs 40mins.

Steve’s biggest support was his dad, Frank. Frank has been ill for a while and I have just been informed that he died on 30-08-08 at 5pm. Our thoughts are with Steve and his family.

Jeff Paley

Submitted 11 Apr 2008

It is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Jeff Paley (a former) member of the club passed away last week. Jeff completed many swim during his swimming career between 1973 and 1981 including a 2-way Windermere. He was a member of our club from 1979 to 1981.

Kevin Saunders American Swims

Submitted 21 Oct 2009

A Bridge

In the past couple of weeks I did a few swims in San Francisco

1. Golden Gate Bridge swim (3km) - http://www.waterworldswim.com/GGB/results.html
2. SF Bridge to Bridge swim (10km) - http://sfbay10k.eventbrite.com/

Didn't feature too high in the overall results partly down to taking in the sights (including doing a bit of backstroke under Golden Gate Bridge
which confused one of the kayakers !!!) and a few usual navigation problems (you try swimming in thick fog) but as most of swimmers were wearing rubber romper suits (wimps...water was only 55 degrees) and some with flippers so results weren't too bad.

In Golden Gate was 22nd out of 39 swimmers but 17 ot those ahead of me were in wetsuits and similarly in Bridge to Bridge swim overall I
was 26th out of 31 swimmers but 22 of those ahead of me were in wetsuits.

I did also do a 1.25 mile "unofficial" swim from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park in SF but this wasn't a race but I tagged along with a few swimmers from South End Rowing club were accompanied by some rowers + rib who were out training.

As soon as I get over jet lag I may see you down at Dolphins training

Little Red Lighthouse Swim

Submitted 24 Sep 2008

Kevin - Fit and well after swim

New York

Kevin Saunders has just completed the Little Red Lighthouse Swim in New York and below is his version of the trip. He was 67th and finished in 01:17:57.

I decided to have a break and head for New York to do the Little Red Lighthouse Swim and when I booked it all I found they were also doing a "Brooklyn Bridge" swim from Manhattan to Brooklyn so I entered this as well as a warm up as it was only 1km.

Typically the American authorities were over-cautious and cancelled the Brooklyn Bridge swim due to some light winds ... I think it was called Hurricane Hannah.

Fortunately The Little Red Lighthouse swim went ahead which was down the shore of the Hudson River finishing at the George Washington Bridge and the Little Red Lighthouse (not so little as you can see by photo).

With my eyesight this gave me something to aim for that was until they reversed the course. The finish point was a small barge, behind the sixth pier along nearly 6 miles away !!!

Luckily I finished the 5.85 mile course in 1hr 18mins but unfortunately I didn't come first as you would expect with that time as the current was with us as at one point I looked across to the shore and we were going faster than the joggers !!!

As to the finish when a couple of us asked a canoeist which way to go she said we weren't far away just aim for the big cruise liner. So we started to sprint passing about a dozen swimmers on the way. As we neared the cruise ship another canoeist was shouting at us. We'd overshot the turn buoy for the finish so had to go back and lost about 6 places.

All in all it was well organised as at the start water, bananas ands bagels were free, we set off in waves (slowest first) so we all finished at roughly the same time. All our kit was labelled and sent to the finish.

We all finished within 30 minutes of each other and as we got out the microchip bracelets we had been given to put on our ankles recorded our times at the same time we were hosed down, given a finishers medal.

As we picked up our kit they had laid on a barbeque and other food (again free) and we got our free tshirts & swimhats.

Within 30 minutes of the last person out the water all the finish times were posted and they were starting the prize giving, more importantly the local bar was open... unfortunately we had to pay for the drinks !!!

Photos can be found at

http://nycswim.org/Event/Event.aspx?event_id=1910&from=photos

and if you find my photo I was caught unawares !!!!

This 5.85-mile swim from Clinton Cove (Pier 96, at 56th Street) to 165th Street, within view of the Little Red Lighthouse, is one of our oldest and most popular events and features views of upper Manhattan, the Palisades, and the George Washington Bridge. Thanks to the expected tidal assist, this is a great way to get started with longer-distance swimming. Afterward, join your swim buddies for an informal, pay-as-you-go party at Coogan's Restaurant (4015 Broadway at 169th Street).

Maurice Ferguson

Edited 15 Jun 2008

31-05-08
It is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Maurice passed away yesterday. More information on Maurice to follow.
14-05-08
Milly informed Caroline today that Maurice is now in a hospice in Northwich and has unfortunately deteriorated over the last couple of weeks.
23-04-08
Maurice makes a further vist to Hospital. You may or may not know that Maurice is very poorly at the moment. He has been in and out of hospital this year more times than any of us would like. He is currently at home. I'm sure all of us wish him our best wishes.

01-04-08
Maurice over a year ago went into hospital and had fluid drained from his chest. It took him a long time to get over that event. At Easter he revisited Warrington General with a chest infection and was released a few days later.

However, he has once again been admitted to hospital this time with a deep vein thrombosis. We all wish him a quick recovery.

Oscar son of Richard & Jo

Edited 23 Jul 2010

Oscar

On Friday 7th May 2010 Richard Walsh and Jo were highly delighted with the arrival of Oscar. Both mum and Oscar are well.

Congratulation on the birth.

Richard Walsh Swims 9 lakes in 24hours

Submitted 6 Aug 2007

Our new member Richard Walsh swam 9 lakes including Windermere twice in 24 hours last weekend to raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind. His unbelievable achievement made it onto the BBC website, see the link below.

Well done amazing swim.

Richard Walsh Swims the Thames

Edited 2 Sep 2009

Following the success of our 50 mile in 48 hours Lake District Swim Challenge back in 2007, my brother and I will be embarking on our latest fund raising swim to complete 135.18 miles of the River Thames in under 5 days to raise in excess of £2,500 for Leukaemia Research.

We will be starting from Cricklade Bridge at 5am on Monday 24th August and finishing at Teddington Lock at about 3.30pm on Friday 28th August, full details of our challenge are available here:
Details of the swim

Please dig deep and donate whatever you can to this very worthwhile cause.
Just Giving Donations

Sunny Lowry MBE - Mrs Anderson

Submitted 21 Feb 2008

It is with great sadness that one of our founding members and Life Member of the club his passed away at Warrington General Age 97.

Sunny was at for front of the creation of the Warrington Dolphins back in 1964.

Over her life she became famous for being the first British lady to swim the Channel. In her later life she acted as President of the Channel Swimming Association and was the figure head of the Restoration Project of the Victoria Baths Manchester.

Older Warringtonions will remember her and her husband Bill from swimming lessons at Warrington Baths.