Isola di Capraia In The Tuscan Archipelago
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. Located in Italy’s Tuscan archipelago, Isola di Capraia seems to be a great starting point for marathon swimmers.
As the northwesternmost of the seven islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, Capraia is 30 km (19 miles) to the island of Corsica, 32 km (20 miles) to the island of Elba, 40 km (25 miles) to the island of Gorgona, and 62 km (39 miles) from Livorno.
With a 30 km (19 mile) coastline, a circumnavigation swim would take a swimmer about 8 km (5 miles) from Punta della Teglia to Punta dello Zenobio and another 4 km (2 miles) across the island that is part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park and a marine sanctuary.
Between 1873 to 1986 a penal colony occupied almost two-thirds of Capraia. In 1986 the penal colony was closed and opened to visitors…and potentially to open water swimmers wanting to do a prison island swim.
Copyright © 2015 by World Open Water Swimming Association
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff.
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