Bristol Channel Swimming Association

Bristol Channel swim routes

noun - The Bristol Channel Swimming Association (BCSA) is a governing body of the Bristol Channel in the UK that was established in 2021 to ratify and document open water swims across the Bristol Channel. The BCSA also record swims that are not ratified including swims done in a wetsuit.

Conditions

The Bristol Channel has the second highest tidal range in the world, but there are many swimmable routes.

History

• The first documented swim across the Bristol Channel was in 1927 when Kathleen Thomas swam from Penarth to Weston-Super-Mare in 7 hours 20 minutes.
• Over the following 93 years, fewer than 20 more people have crossed.

Mission

The mission of the BCSA is to introduce swimming across the Bristol Channel to as many swimmers as possible and ensure all attempts are fully documented and, where applicable, ratified as the swimmer adhered to the channel swim rules and regulations.

Routes & Swimmers

• There are four general routes that are recognized:
  • Swansea to Ilfracombe at 25 miles
  • Glenthorne to Porthcawl at 16 miles
  • Penarth to Clevedon at 12 miles
  • Penarth to Weston-Super-Mare at 9 miles

Swansea to Ilfracombe at 25 miles

• Sian Clement on 23 July 2016 in 14 hours 1 minute
• Gethin Jones on 13 September 2009 in 21 hours 39 minutes

Glenthorne to Porthcawl at 16 miles

• Sarah Philpott on 22 June 2022 in 12 hours 21 minutes, observed by Kevin Murphy
• Lee Johnson on 22 June 2022 in 11 hours 43 minutes 36 seconds, pending ratification by the Marathon Swimmers Federation
• Tom Chapman on 16 September 2021 in 11 hours 57 minutes from Porthcawl to Devon, the first person to complete a reverse route, pending ratification by the Marathon Swimmers Federation
• Victoria Lea on 19 July 2021 in 8 hours 32 minutes, pending ratification from the Marathon Swimmers Federation
• Claire Leighton, pending ratification by the Marathon Swimmers Federation
• Kamil Resa Alsaran on 10 September 2020 on 13 hours 8 minutes, pending ratification by the Marathon Swimmers Federation
• Jeffrey Lloyd on 4 August 1979 in 11 hours 1 minutes 30 seconds
• D.I. Jones on 21 August 1977 in 13 hours 1 minutes 30 seconds
• Kaye Daniels on 29 July 1982 in 11 hours 24 minutes 10 seconds
• Jane Luscombe in 1976 in 10 hours 46 minutes
• Ted Keenan on 17 July 1975 in 14 hours 26 minutes 15 seconds, ratified by the British Long Distance Swimming Association
• Kevin Murphy in 1971 in 15 hours 0 minutes 35 seconds

Penarth to Clevedon at 12 miles

• Laura Nesbitt on 7 June 2022, pending ratification by the Marathon Swimmers Federation
• Andrew Wolf on 4 July 2021 in 5 hours 56 minutes 21 seconds, piloted by Ceri Davies, ratified by the British Long Distance Swimming Association
• Tom Chapman on 2 July 2021 in 6 hours 38 minutes, pending ratification by the Marathon Swimmers Federation
• Sue Croft on 1 July 2021, pending ratification by the Marathon Swimmers Federation
• Jo Jones on 27 September 2020 in 5 hours 27 minutes 57 seconds, ratified by the Marathon Swimmers Federation
• Alec Richardson in 2009 forming the basis of Ask Me Why I'm Stood Here, ratified by the British Long Distance Swimming Association
• Kathleen Thomas in 1927 in 7 hours 20 minutes from Penarth to Weston-Super-Mare

Penarth to Weston-Super-Mare at 9 miles

• Tom Chapman on 17 June 2021 in 6 hours 17 minutes 21 seconds, pending ratification by the Marathon Swimmers Federation
• Gerald Forsberg in 1964 in 5 hours 40 minutes
• Jenny James in 1950 in 8 hours 23 minutes from Weston Super Mare to Penarth
• Jenny James in 1948 in 10 hours 5 minutes from Weston Super Mare to Penarth
• Edward Temme in 1933 in 7 hours 5 minutes from Weston Super Mare to Penarth
• Edith Parnell in 1929 in 10 hours 15 minutes at the age of 16
• Harry Luscombe on 15 September 1920 in 9 hours 3 minutes

Contact

tom@swimsmoothwales.com

Committee

• Tom Chapman
• Ros Edmonds
• Sian Clement
• Stephen Price
• Tracy Clark
• Victoria Lea
• Bryce Davies
• Robin Griffiths
• Andrew Wolf
• Jacqueline McClelland
• Andrew Butler

Original Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming

• The Bristol Channel is part of the Original Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming that is defined as completed solo crossings of the English Channel, the North Channel, and the Bristol Channel.
• The Original Triple Crown included the 27 km (minimum) route between North Devon, England and Porthcawl, Wales that required adherence to the British Long Distance Swimming Association rules which required swimmers to start and finish within half a mile (800m) of the designated point.
• The definition was set by the Marathon Swimmers Federation that requires achievement of the Original Triple Crown distances of the English Channel, North Channel, and Bristol Channel to be a minimum swimmable distance of 16 miles.

Original Triple Crowner List

• Kevin Murphy
  • On 11 August 1968, he complete the 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel in 15 hours 55 minutes.
  • In 1970, he completed the 35 km crossing of the North Channel in 11 hours 21 minutes
  • In 1971, he completed the 16-mile crossing of the Bristol Channel in 13 hours 54 minutes.

• Ted Keenan
  • On 13 August 1972, he completed the 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel in 18 hours 11 minutes.
  • On 11 August 1973, he completed the 35 km crossing of the North Channel in 18 hours 27 minutes
  • On 17 July 1975, he completed the 16-mile crossing of the Bristol Channel in 14 hours 26 minutes.

• Stephen Price
  • On 18 August 1987, he completed the 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel in 15 hours 4 minutes.
  • On 21 July 2000, he completed the 35 km crossing of the North Channel in 16 hours 56 minutes.
  • On 28 September 1991, he completed the 13.1-mile crossing of the Bristol Channel in 7 hours 45 minutes 18 seconds (in 1991), and also in 1992 and 1994.

• Siân Clement, first female
  • On 1 July 2009, she completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel in 12 hours 48 minutes.
  • On 23 July 2016, she completed a 25-mile crossing of the Bristol Channel in 14 hours 1 minute.
  • On 10 July 2022, she completed a 35 km crossing of the North Channel in 12 hours 45 minutes.

• Elaine Burrows Dillane
  • On 10 September 2019, she completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel in 12 hours 45 minutes.
  • On 21 July 2021, she completed a 35 km crossing of the North Channel in 14 hours 54 minutes.
  • On 21 July 2022, she completed a 27 km crossing of the Bristol Channel in 12 hours 52 minutes.

• Sarah Philpott
  • On 14 September 2020, she completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel in 13 hours 48 minutes.
  • On 22 June 2022, she completed a 27 km crossing of the Bristol Channel in 12 hours 21 minutes.
  • On 10 August 2022, she completed a 35 km crossing of the North Channel in 16 hours 21 minutes.

• Fergal Somerville
  • On 23 September 2011, he completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel in 12 hours 21 minutes.
  • On 16 June 2013, he completed a 35 km crossing of the North Channel in 12 hours 21 minutes.
  • On 20 September 2022, he completed a 27 km crossing of the Bristol Channel in 15 hours 35 minutes.

Edith Parnell Crossing

Edith Parnell in 1929 in 10 hours 15 minutes at the age of 16

External links

• The Original Triple Crowners More Than Doubled In 2022
• Bristol Channel Swimming Association Is Taking Off
• Bristol Channel Swimming Association
• Harry and Jane Luscombe