High winds prevented the Nautilus Trust Round Island Swim from taking place, but teams quickly regrouped to stage an event at Bouley Bay.
Under the guidance of race organiser Charlie Gravett seven squads – some of whose members had travelled from America to take part in the competition – took on an 800 yard course at the sheltered northern beach.
In total the competition helped to raise £24,350 for Holidays for Heroes Jersey, which offers breaks in the Island to service personnel who have been injured in any way while serving in the armed forces.
The British Army Swimming Union finished the race first in 47 minutes and 50 seconds, the Royal Air Force Swimming Association came second with a time of 50 minutes and 50 seconds and the United States Air Force Swim Squad were third home in a time of 53 minutes and 30 seconds.
The Royal Navy’s team finished fourth in 56 minutes and five seconds, the Jersey Long Distance Swimming Club Juniors came in in 57 minutes and three seconds, the Jersey Ladies team completed the course in one hour and 20 seconds and the ‘True Spirit’ Help for Heroes Swim Squad, whose members include amputees and partially paralysed swimmers, finished in 72 minutes.
Mr Gravett said the race came to a poignant conclusion with many swimmers re-entering the water to accompany Nerys Pearce, a swimmer who is paralysed from the chest down, as she finished the race for the Help for Heroes squad.
Mr Gravett said he was glad to have been able to arrange the event after having to cancel the round-Island swim.
He said: ‘At Bouley Bay there was a tremendous competitive spirit shown by everyone. It was almost perfect conditions at Bouley Bay really. At the south coast the sea was raging, but where we were on the north coast it was lovely and smooth.’
Swimmers and organisers gathered last night for a presentation ceremony at the St Helier Yacht Club and continued on for a curry night hosted by the British Army squad at the Jersey Field Squadron’s headquarters.
THE event raised more than £24,000 for Holidays for Heroes Jersey, who last year spent £249,000 to help more than 300 visitors and their families take a break in the Island.
Richard Woodhouse, who founded the charity with his wife Dawn, said it was fantastic to receive the proceeds of the swim.
He added: ‘Charlie picked the most secluded bay and created a triangular course. The swimmers left the slip, swam towards the Water’s edge Hotel to a buoy, they then had to swim to touch the pier and then swim back.
‘The water was gorgeous and the sun was out, it was beautiful.
‘All the teams said it was great to stand and bond and mingle at the side.’
Holidays for Heroes Jersey hosted a training swim earlier this year for most of the Help for Heroes team who were preparing for the Arch to Arc Triathlon – a London to Paris ultra-endurance event that the team is due to complete at the end of this month.
Mr Woodhouse said that he had been told that his charity was also going to benefit from the challenge.
‘We spent £249,000 last year so we need to do a lot of fundraising,’ he said. ‘It’s a pretty big challenge each year to raise enough money. The money will go straight into the 2016 holiday programme which we are already getting bookings for.’
COLONEL Tim Lawrence has been stationed in the UK since the 1990s and was a bit more prepared for Jersey’s sea temperatures than his teammates who journeyed from all over America to take part in the swim.
He is no stranger to Island waters and has completed two solo round-Island swims after first swimming the English Channel in 1999.
After meeting veteran long distance swimmers Sally Minty-Gravett and Charlie Gravett he began visiting the Island regularly to take part in distance swimming events.
Colonel Lawrence said: ‘It was a really brilliant event. Hats off to all the folks from Jersey who came up with a swim for us to do, especially since my team mates came such a long way to get here.
‘You can’t control mother nature, but in the circumstances it ended up being a really wonderful day. Our squad was over the moon to get to compete against these other teams.
‘The Holidays for Heroes Jersey charity is fantastic.
‘And importantly we got to meet the Help for Heroes team who are advancing their lives by signing up to these tough endurance activities. Hearing their stories and how they live life in an extremely positive way has been great. It’s been refreshing to be around people with all that positive energy.
‘They are role models not only to me, but to my team mates too and any way we can help raise money for this cause is great.
