Members of a Broughty Ferry outdoor swimming club are set to take part in a 24-hour relay this weekend in preparation for a gruelling 40 mile swim event.
The five swimmers, who are members of Broughty Ferry’s 133-year-old Yeabba Outdoor Swim Club, will take to the water on Saturday in what will be the final preparation before setting off to swim around the island of Jersey on July 8.
The hardy participants, who do not wear wet suits, are required to complete a set amount of training before being allowed to compete in the Jersey event.
Each swimmer has had to complete an 8.5 mile swim in under two and a half hours.
Having booked the swim over two years ago, Yeabba president Joyce McIntosh said this weekend’s event will be the ideal test for the swimmers.
She said: “We have done it before just for fun but this time we are doing it primarily as preparation and to try and raise some extra funds to cover the costs of the trip.
“Each swimmer will do an hour before swapping, with this continuing until the next morning. It will be enduring and going back into water after being out for a while is always difficult.
“We’re hopeful that people will come along to watch the event and want to know more about the sport or even be encouraged to join.
“The temperature is required to stay above 13C, otherwise the swimmers will be prevented from taking part but it looks like it will be more than warm enough so we shouldn’t have to worry about that.”
The swimmers taking part are Stewart Halliday, Vicki Taylor, Graham Matthew, Valerie Lindsay, and 15-year-old junior swimmer Scott Spalding.
The five are booked in to complete the swim on the second tide on July 8, however they will have until July 11 to complete it if they are forced to wait due to adverse conditions.
The relay will be taking place at the organisation’s club house at Broughty Ferry Pier, which is part of the 14th Century Broughty Castle Harbour complex on the Beach Crescent waterfront.
The club, which is a registered charity, operate training programmes as well as hosting a range of events such as the suburb’s New Year’s Day Dook.
