Photo courtesy of Roseli Johnson, Images by Roseli, Bermuda. Even since Captain Matthew Webb crawled out of the English Channel in 1875, the collective open water swimming community has continued to get better and better. Decades ago, the North Channel between Scotland and Northern Ireland, was considered a venue for only the very top echelon of rugged
Courtesy of The Royal Gazette, Bermuda. The Royal Gazette published an article about the attempt by a Dutch-born teacher Fernanda Varga who aimed to replicate the pioneering circumnavigation of Bermuda by Dr. Sean O'Connell in 1976. For 40 years, the 35-mile Round Bermuda Swim has only been attempted 3 times: The first attempt and second successful
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. Open water swimmers and beach goers around the world use all kinds of terms about their local waters, sometimes tranquil, sometimes turbulent. A colorful phrase used in Bermuda, as told by Sean O'Connell, is 'sucked under the boilers'. Its background is the following: "Bermuda is surrounded by reefs which,
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. In July 1976, Dr. Sean O’Connell, a mathematics lecturer at Bermuda College, attempted the first swim around the island of Bermuda. "I had to quit during my first attempt because of currents against me were too strong and relentless, blocking progress for hours and hours with no end in sight. I had already
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. In early July 1976, Dr. Sean O’Connell, a mathematics lecturer at Bermuda College and a member of the 24-hour Club, attempted the first recorded attempt at swimming around the island of Bermuda. Seven weeks later, Dr. O'Connell made a second attempt on August 21st. After 45 miles (72.4 km) later, he
Dr. Sean O’Connell, a mathematics lecturer at Bermuda College and a member of the 24-hour club, completed a 43 hour 27 minute, 47-mile circumnavigation of Bermuda in August 1977. After his first attempt that ended in failure, he tried again three weeks later. The swim helped raise money for the Bermuda Physically Handicapped Association and inspired a 30th
