The 29-year-old doctor at The General and St Saviour’s Hospitals, added her name to those of swimmers from USA, Australia, Spain, France, Eire and the home countries, plus the many Islanders who have accomplished the feat.
Eiselin was using the occasion – the earliest in the year that a successful swim has been recorded – as her qualifying outing for an attempt on the English Channel in late July or early August.
Accompanied by her husband Jan – perched on a sea kayak – and the JLDSC’s club escort vessel with fellow round-Island swimmers Lucy Biard and Sally Minty-Gravett aboard the small flotilla set off from the Elizabeth Castle Breakwater into a flat calm sea with diminishing visibility just after 0720 on Saturday morning.
With the advantage of a spring tide the swim was soon at Green Island.
And, after rounding St Catherine’s breakwater the currents continues to speed Eiselin along at up to seven knots in the mist and silence of the north coast.
Off Sorel Point Lucy Biard joined Ilse in the water for an hour of companionship.
The expected swell off Grosnez was a relief from the flat calm of the previous six hours and Corbiere arrived after nine hours of swimming.
Then it was on to Noirmont Point and the final burst of energy to reach the building tide which sped her across St Aubin’s Bay and back to the Castle in 11 hours, 7 minutes 10 sec.
The JLDSC still has another eight solo contenders and three relay squads booked for attempts this season, that’s besides the six Channel swims by club members and a number of Jersey-to-France swims.
