The Positively Parkinson’s team faced a real life challenge with an ambitious relay swim to circumnavigate the Isle of Wight. Having previously swum across the Solant to the island the Challenge for 2013 was to swim around the island. The aim was ambitious with ten swimmers, including three with Parkinson’s, swimming the 65 miles around the island.
As dawn started to break on 20th July, the team assembled at Lymington Marina to board our support vessel the Channel Queen, our home for the next 24 hours or so.
As we sailed to the Needles, the official start of the swim, the team could not have asked for a more perfect day to take on the challenge. A hard but hopefully rewarding 24 hours of swimming lay ahead and there was high expectations that it was going to be a good day and the team were keen to get cracking.
With the swimming order agreed, Vicky Knight was first in the water, swimming to the shallows, the cave closest to the Needles. Once everything was ready Vicky, accompanied by a support kayak, set off for the team’s first stint, setting a speedy pace. Aboard the Channel Queen spirits were high and everyone was resting and preparing for the swim, both physically and mentally.
Shortly after getting underway there was terrific bang and a big jolt with sufficient force to knock several of the swimmers over, causing minor bruising. The boat had collided with the submerged wreckage of the SS Varvassi. Sunk in 1947 the Varvassi was carrying a cargo of 300 tons of tangerines, 400 tons of wine, iron ore and a crew of 34. Over the years the wreck had become a local landmark for which sailors should be aware, except for the skipper of the Channel Queen it seems!
With the boat taking on water it was starting to list to one side and the decision was taken to evacuate and call the coastguard unleashing the RNLI lifeboat and coastguard helicopter.
The three swimmers with Parkinson’s were the first to be transferred to safety, as it was thought that they were a higher risk if the boat were to capsize. Our thanks go for the speedy action by the RNLI from Yarmouth, plus the two boats that were on standby and to help after hearing the emergency call.
Whilst the actual swim did not happen, this was through no fault of our own. Yes it was a big disappointment, especially after all the hard work, but everyone was okay and except from some bruises, there wasn’t any real injuries.
Having arrived back onshore around 9am, we retired for a well earned full English breakfast, to reflect what had happened and thankful what had not.