Mission Impossible III

 BIG RICK`S SWIM TEAM
Presents....
Pip`S Double Channel Team 2013

The Channel Impossible III
The Re Match
(Nothing Great Is Easy..!)
Only 32 days to go....

 ‎"Your mission ', should you choose to accept it, is to once again  attempt an Epic two way swim of the the English channel, only difference this time please  Finish it ...;-)) As usual you will have same team , lead from the back as always by the Special one  Captain Cash with your lead man being Basher , followed by Mr Copeland, Supa Daz , The Graying Badger and the Meat  ,Now  should you or any member of your team feel the need to start panicking again this year , as it gets a bit dark and foggy with 2m waves ,and then starts running up and down the boat shouting this should be stopped , or perhaps you get Sea Sick, or maybe  stung by a Jellyfish, or hit by the odd piece of wood or ferry or worse.. Well tough..!!!! you're are so not getting out until your hour slot done and the finally swim is completed...!!! This boat will self-destruct after 24 hours so you had best get a move on do it.!!. Good luck, Boys.(Simply click the arrow on the picture above to listen to a great song as you read, and TURN it up loud..!!)

This looks simple wouldn`t you say...Just  jump in at Dover,paddle over to France, make a sand castle have a ice cream maybe on Cap Gris Nez Beach, and then paddle back to Dover for some Fish and Chips and a beer.. EASY...!!!

The Challenge...!
The truth is Ricks loved trying to swim the double of the channel in 2012.!!  we failed yes, but we really loved the challenge of it ,  well okay some of us did and some of us were scared to death towards the end ..!! ,  with that very much still in our minds , when we finally  all got back together for a team chat for plans for 2013 we all still very much had what happen that da on our minds.! ,  we started to talk about what our challenge would be for 2013...? the suggestions  were varied and not all swimming ..but after a few hrs chatting and a some arm twisting it became clear what we would be doing this year.., We could not walk away from The Channel once and for all before we had a attempted another at 2-way crossing, just no way, ...So the plans have been put in place to do just that.......

The Dates and Venues.. 
OKAY...plans are now in Place...We tried to book once more into the famous channel hide out, the place where all channel swimmers who are anyone have stopped before their attempts to conquer the mighty channel...Varne Ridge Holiday Park.! but it was full up..!!! so it looks like the premier inn Dover for us , as Richard likes the all you eat  breakfasts..;-)))
 the Swim itself we start anytime from Sunday night  the 14th July  to 18th July 2013,. This years Swim we think will Start ( like the last 2 yrs crossing ) from Samphoe Beach (Dover ). It can start at any time, once we get the Green light from our Pilot, (who is again is the Channel God Mr Fred Mardle) i say any time but  please Fred let it be a better hour this yr , last time starting at 1.15am was not fun !. Once underway we will stop only once at Cap Gris Nez beach in France, before then returning back to Samphoe beach in Dover .!(it really does sounds simple don`t you think..!!!) 

Looking Out  across the English  Channel from  the white  cliffs of Dover..!!
its only 22  miles to France from here.ONLY..!

The Time and Distance..
Okay..before we carry on , lets make one thing clear to Pips Coach  Basher  , THIS year we are not getting hooked up on best times..!! SO before you even think it, before you even ask it  or say or suggest anything , the answer is NO NO NO !!) our goal, (our only Goal)  is to Finish..as every good channel Pilot will tell his or her swimmers this year or any year, every swimmer should Just be happy to finish , because Many Don`t.!!! ..  So back to our  time and distance for a 2 way swim..., truthfully the answer is we really don`t know.. going on last yrs swim it could be as good as 17 and 18 hours or in a blink of eye or stroke even you are looking at  24 hours + .!,
 As for the distance , well this again is almost impossible to say, as so many things have an impact on the day as to how far you will swim,  so our only guide is what we did on last years crossing, so  it  could be well over 60 miles + of swimming( tidal assisted ) .!!!, off course its not just the swimming that makes channel relay swims so hard, as we found out last year big time,  its being on a small boat , most likely in very choppy water, its most likely going to be colder on the boat than in the water, if that's bad enough you are also trying navigate the busiest shipping lane in the world..Twice.!!  Mmm its not sounding so easy now...;-)

Masterpiece..
Pip,s Boat for the 2 way..! as you can see its not the biggest you will ever see..
joking aside...We are sure the hardest part of this Epic challenge won`t be the 4 hrs each we have to swim, but surviving 24+ hrs on tiny boat in rough seas and Cold air Condition's on board after each of us swim  .!! but  no one ever said channel swimming was easy , so we just have to deal with it..!!
 plenty of sea sickness tablets for starters..!! 

The Charity ..  This year  there is change , a very important change, We are swimming the 2 way under a new  team name " Pip`s Double Channel Swim Team " in memory of Big Ricks Swimmer Richard  Brownjohn’s  partner the beautiful and charming Phillipa "Pip" Thomas who lost her 2 yr fight with breast cancer just a few months ago, with a change in name comes a change in Charity  

We are doing the double for the amazing charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer..
 Breakthrough Breast Cancer is a pioneering charity dedicated to the prevention, treatment and ultimate eradication of breast cancer. We believe passionately that this disease can be beaten. By fighting on three fronts – research, campaigning and education – we are determined to save and change lives by removing the fear of breast cancer for good
if you think after we deserve supporting not only in our quest to swim
the 60 miles to France and back .!, 
but more importantly we hope we more deserving of your support
in our dream to help Breakthrough Breast Cancer with their amazing work .
http://www.justgiving.com/pipschannelswimteam 

(this is Pip,s Channel Justgiving charity  page link,either clink or copy and paste to go to our page 

Big Ricks Channel team
The Don, Basher, The Badger,The Gimp & Captain Chunky Monkey.
( sadly Super Chest was unavailable for the Team Picture )

The Swim Prize.
The Prize should we be successful in June is Massive..! Pip,s would join a very exclusive club of just handful of teams that have successfully completed the a double English channel Swim (Since records began 1950 ), only 55 teams from around the world  have ever achieved a 2 way crossing ..of which  only 14 teams were from the UK...only 14.!!! 
Successful  2 way channel Men's / Ladies relay swims by year since  records were started in 1950..( Relay Records  from  http://www.channelswimming.net/index.htm )

1971...United Nations                                        International             24HRS 07Mins

1973... Eastern Marathon S.Assoc.                    USA                        29 46

1974...Hetzel's Texas Volunteers                        USA                        17 50.

1974...Eastern Marathon SC                              USA                        31 26

1977...Egyptian Relay                                        Egypt                       17 34

1977...Saudi Arabian Relay                              Saudi Arabia             16 05

1980...7th Regiment RHA                                 U.K                         19 40

1981...7th Reg. Royal Horse Artillery                U.K                         24 09

1981...Belgian Channel (Breaststroke)              Belgium                    24 01

1982...Br. Cross Channel (Disabled)                 U.K                         24 14

1985...West 1 International                               U.K                          15 36

1986...Egyptian Sports Fed(Disabled)               Egypt                       25 11

1987...Scarborough Castle LDSC                    U.K                          26 43

1988...Eltham Training & S.C.                          U.K                          30 06

1990...US National Swim Team                        USA                         14 18(WORLD RECORD)

1990...Bolton Metro                                         U.K                         28 39

1991...Howe Bridge (Breast Stroke)                 U.K                         29 15

1992...Canadian Channel Challenge                  Canada                    18 48

1993..RAF                                                       U.K                         20 51

1993 Wielkopolanka                                        Poland                      20 43

1994...Sazanami                                              Japan                         24 14

1996...West Aussie Double Crossers               Australia                    19 26

1996...National Grid Ladies                             U.K                           25 01 

1997...Exmouth Swimming & L.S.S.                U.K                           23 41 

1998...Pine Crest Juniors                                 USA/Venezuela          19 25

1998...Pine Crest Seniors                                USA/Venezuela          16 48

1998 ..Sakura                                                 Japan                          24 36

1999..Adventure Seeker                                 International                19 25

2001...Team Extreme                                     Australia                     20 59

2001...Mexican American Family                   Mexico/USA              18 48

2003...Force 6 America                                 USA                          20 18

2003...Michigan Masochists                           USA                          21 20

2004.. Irish Team C                                       Ireland                       27 48

2004....Victoria Police                                   Australia                     24 45                                                     

2005... Femmes de la Manche                       International                30 40

2005...Fionn Uisce                                        Ireland                        30 23

2005.. Finn McCool                                      Ireland                        31 56

2005...Lir                                                      Ireland                        33  05

2005...First Mexican Relay                            Mexico                       20 14

2005...Eltham Training & SC (1)                     UK                           31 36

2006....Casablanca Mexico                           Mexico                       18 54

2006... ABCDEFGH                                    USA                           21 37                                                                          

2007...New York Harbor Seals                    USA                           21 45 

2007...Altamar 66K                                     Mexico                       18  59                                                      

2007...Warrington Dolphins                            UK                          28 54

2008...Friends All Swimming Together (2)    Australia                      25 51

2008...Friends All Swimming Together (1)    Australia                      26 06 

2008...Casablanca Mexico                           Mexico                        31 56 

2008...Dublin Fire Brigade                           Ireland                         21 12

2012 Warwick School                                  UK                             25 37
2012 Channel for ALS                                   ?                                18.55
2012 Silver Marlins                                        ?                                 24.04
2012 Dutch Ladies                                       Holland                        18.21 (WR all ladies team)
2012 2 by 3                                                    ?                                30.16
2013 Big Ricks & Pip,s Swim Team                          UK                             ?????

The Team feels this could be an amazing year i hope once again you will join in with our adventures, some will be painful , some will be messy , but i can promise you it will be fun..!!! Rx

The First..!!!
The Man who started it all in on August 24th 1875
Captain Matthew Webb..
(1843-1883)
http://www.captainwebb..co.uk

The Words under Captain Webb Statue in Dover UK read....
Nothing Great is Easy......!!!

  

ONLY 32 DAYS TO GO........

if you think after we deserve supporting not only in our quest to swim
the 60 miles to France and back .!, 
but more importantly we hope we more deserving of your support
in our dream to help Breakthrough Breast Cancer with their amazing work .
http://www.justgiving.com/pipschannelswimteam 

(this is Pip,s Channel Justgiving charity  page link,either clink or copy and paste to go to our page)

Win or Lose..
this will be Ricks last go at the English channel..!!!
we said that last year as well.....lol