Prison island swim

Jacques Tuset has completed a prison island swim over 20 times from Le Château d’If in France

The Prison island swims were nominated for the 2016 WOWSA Awards, a recognition of outstanding men, women, performances and offerings around the globe sponsored by the World Open Water Swimming Association in the category of World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year

Le Château d’If of the island of If, start of the Défi de Monte Cristo open water swim and one of the Prison Island Swims in Marseille, France

Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour, Australia, site of the Dawny To Cockatoo Swim, a prison island swim

Jacques Tuset of France, the world's leading Prison Island Swims escapee

noun - Prison island swims are open water swims where swimmers swim between famed prison islands and the shorelines or mainlands nearby. The prison island swims include the Triple Break (or the Triple Crown of Prison Island Swims and the Quatro Break (or the Quatro Break of Prison Island Swims. These swims include swims around the world.

Origin

Triple Break and Quatro Break were both first proposed by Ned Denison.

Synonyms

island prison swim, Triple Break, Quatro Break, break, swim escape, prison island escape swim, îles-prisons à la nage

Triple Break Sites or Prison Island Swim (listed by region and country)

Africa

• Mogador Island (Morocco): 2.2 km to mainland, was used as a prison in the late 1800s
  
• Île de Gorée (Senegal) 5.2 km to mainland, was known as the location of the House of Slaves
  
• Robben Island (South Africa): 7.4 km to mainland, was the former isolated prison home of Nelson Mandela and other South Africans
  
• Changuu (Tanzania): 34 km to mainland and 4.5 km to Zanzibar, was used in the 1860s as a prison for rebellious slaves
  
• Saint Helena (UK Colony in South Atlantic Ocean): 1,800 km to mainland was used as a prison for Napoleon
  

Asia/Australia

• Rottnest Island (Australia): 19.7 km to mainland, was used as an Aboriginal prison between 1838 and 1931 for men and boys
  
• Fort Denison (Australia): 1 km to mainland, was used as a prison and for hanging in the 1800s
  
• Cockatoo Island (Australia): 0.5 km to mainland, was used as a prison from 1839 to 1869
  
• Tasmania Island (Australia): 198 km to mainland, 70,000 were transported there from the early 1800s
  
• Hao Island (French Polynesia): 920 km to Tahaiti, in the late 1980s, two French intelligence (DGSE) operatives were briefly confined to the military base on the island after France obtained their release from a New Zealand prison for sinking the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior
  
• Gunkanjima Island (Japan): 15 km to Nagasaki, was used as a prison from 1930s to 1946 during World War II
  
• Sado Island (Japan): 40 km to Japanese mainland, was used as a prison from 722 to 1271
  
• Kwajalein Island (Marshall Islands): 2,865 km to Papua New Guinea, as reported in "Unbroken - Louis Zamperini Story" - Execution Island from WWII
  
• Isle of Pines (New Caledonia): 49 km to mainland, 3,000 deported from the Paris Commune in 1872
  
• Côn Sơn Island (Vietnam): 85 km to mainland, was used as a prison from the 1960s to the 1980s
  
• St. Helena (Australia): 4 km to mainland, was used as a prison between 1826 and 1932
  

Central America

• Isla San Lucas (Costa Rica): 4 km to mainland, was used as a prison 1873 to 1991
  
• Guantanamo Bay (Cuba): 90 km to Haiti, used as a prison in recent times
  
• Coiba (Panama): 20 km to mainland, was used as a prison from 1919 to 2004
  

Europe

• Alderney Island (Alderney, Channel Islands): 15 km to mainland, was a camp for Russian slave workers for the German occupational forces during World War II
  
• Goli otok (Croatia): 3 km to mainland, a political prison from 1949 to 1989
  
• Drakes Island (England): 0.75 km to mainland, Two famous Roundheads were imprisoned from 1662 to 1683 - both died on the island
  
• Spitbank Fort (England): 1.3 km to mainland, built in 1878 and served later as a prison
  
• Île du Levant (France): 12 km to mainland, was used as a children's prison
  
• Fort Royal de Sainte-Marguerite (France): 1 km to mainland, was used as a military prison and where the famous Man in the iron mask was held captive
  
• Le Château d’If (France): 5 km to mainland, was a fortress and prison for 400 best know through the novel The Count of Monte Cristo
  
• Fort Boyard (France): 18 km to mainland, is an oval-shaped fort and military prison
  
• Île de Brescou (Brescou Fort) (France): 1.5 km to mainland, was used from late 1600s for 200 year as a state prison for crimes such as treason
  
• Oleron Island (Île d'Oléron) (France): 3 km “organised race” to mainland, was used as a state prison between 1789-1870
  
• Château du Taureau (France): 0.7 km to mainland, was used in the 1720 as a small prison (10 prisoners maximum)
  
• Belle-Île (France): 15 km to mainland, was used from 1902 to 1977 for children
  
• Ile d’ Yeu (France): 20 km to mainland, was used until 1950s from the 1860s as a state prison – famous for Marshal Petain
  
• Saint-Martin-de-Ré (France): 16 km to mainland, was used as a transfer prison for convict destines for Devil's Island
  
• Makronisos (Greece): 5 km to mainland, was used in the 1946-1949 as a prison political prisoners
  
• Fortress of Bourtzi (Greece): 0.5 km to mainland, was used from the 1865s as a prison
  
• Spike Island (Ireland): 2 km off the larger Island of Cobh, was the former isolated prison home of infamous Irish inmates
  
• Isola delle Femmine (Italy): 0.5 km to mainland, was used as a female only penal colony in the 1600s
  
• Isola di Capraia (Italy): 62 km to mainland, northwesternmost of the seven islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, 30 km to Corsica, 32 km to Elba, penal colony from 1873 to 1986
  
• Pianosa (Italy): 18 km to mainland, was used from Roman times and later for Mafia members as a prison, part of the Tuscan Archipelago
  
• Elba (Italy): 22 km to mainland, was used as Napoleon’s prison, part of the Tuscan Archipelago
  
• Isola di Capraia (Italy): northwesternmost of the seven islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, 30 km to Corsica, 32 km to Elba, penal colony from 1873 to 1986
  
• Grmožur (Montenegro): 1.5 km to mainland, The “Alcatraz” of Montenego from 1843
  
• Mamula Fortress (Montenegro): 1.2 km to mainland, was used as a prison in the 1800s
  
• Bastøy (Norway): 2 km to mainland, was used in the 1898 as a children's prison and now is trying to become "the first ecological prison in the world"
  
• Cabrera (Spain): 25 km to mainland, was used in the early 1860s as a prison during the Napoleonic Wars – once housing 25,000 prisoners
  
• Tabarca (Spain): 21 km to mainland, was used in the 1700s as a prison
  
• Isla de San Simón (Spain): 0.4 m to mainland, was used from 838 to 1927 as a prison and leper colony
  
• Långholmen (Sweden): 0.3 km to the center of Stockholm, was used as a prison for 250 years – closed in 1975
  
• Spinalonga: 1.3 km to Plaka, Crete was used as a leper colony
  
• Asinara Island: 21 km to Sardinia, Italy was long used as a prison in the 20th century
  
• Fort National: 200m to Saint Malo, France
  
• Île de la Cité: to Paris, France
  
• Le Palais at Belle-Ile: in France
  
• Alderney: in France
  

North America

• Alcatraz Island (U.S.A. - San Francisco, California): 2.3 km to mainland, was the former isolated prison home of Al Capone and other celebrated American criminals
  
• Santa Cruz (U.S.A. - Santa Barbara, California): 33 km to mainland, was use to house prisoner after Mexico's independence from France
  
• Fort Warren (U.S.A. - Boston, Massachusetts): On Georges Island, 11 km to mainland, was used as a prison in the American Civil War until 1862
  
• Long Island (U.S.A. - Boston, Massachusetts): , 1 km to mainland, During the Winter of 1676/7 all the local American Indians were collected and abandoned on the Island
  
• Fort Jefferson (U.S.A. - Key West, Florida): 110 km to Key West Florida, was used as a prison for USA Civil War deserters and plotters to kill Abraham Lincoln
  
• McNeil Island (U.S.A. - Steilacoom, Washington): 4.5 km to mainland, was used as a prison in the 1880s up to 1,200 inmates
  
• Johnson Island (U.S.A. - Alderson, West Virginia): 5 km to mainland, was used as a prison from 1861 with up 2,500 Conference prisoners
  
• Peddocks Island (U.S.A. - Boston, Massachusetts): 0.4 km to mainland, was used as a prison during World War II for Italian prisoners
  
• Deer Island (U.S.A. - Boston, Massachusetts): Does not qualify - it is no longer separated from the mainland, was used as a prison from 1880 to 1981
  
• Rikers Island (U.S.A. - New York City, New York): 0.1 km to mainland, active prison - and probably wouldn't encourage a swim!
  
• Sunflower Island (U.S.A. - Missouri): no longer an island, Prison during the Civil War for those with smallpox - and prior to that the location of a duel challenge with future President Abraham Lincoln!
  

South America

• Île Saint-Joseph (French Guiana): 13.3 km to mainland was a well-known location of the French penal system
  
• Devil's Island (French Guiana): 14 km to mainland, was a well-known location of the French penal system and a leper colony
  
• Ilha Anchieta (Brazil): 0.4 km to mainland, was used as a penal colony between 1902 and 1952 at which point a prison riot led to its closure
  
• Ilha Fernando de Noronha (Brazil): 350 km to mainland, was used as a penal colony between 1900 and 1990
  
• Ilha Grande (Brazil): 2 km to mainland, was used as a penal colony between 1900 and 1990
  
• Robinson Crusoe Island (Chile): 597 km to mainland, 1704, British privateer Alexander Selkirk was marooned from 1704 to 1709
  
• Gorgona Island (Columbia): 35 km to mainland, was used as a penal colony between 1946 and 1959
  
• Isabela Island (Ecuador - Galápagos): 1,100 km to mainland, was used as a penal colony between 1959 and 1984
  
• Islet Mother (French Guiana) 11 km to mainland, started as a leper colony in the 18th Century and then became a prison for 600 convicts and political prisoners
  
• Salvation Islands: Devil's, St Joseph's and Royale (French Guiana) 12.7-14 km to mainland, was a well-known location of the French penal system and a leper colony
  
• El Frontón (Peru): 5 km to mainland, was used as a prison until the 20th century
  

10 Escapes Video

Courtesy of Jacques Tuset and Team Aquadeus

List of Famed Triple Break Swimmers

2001 Jacques Tuset (Oleron Island - La Tremblade + Alcatraz + Le Château d’If + Fort Boyard + Robben + Cabrera Island - Majorque + Langholmen + Spike + Île du Levant + Sainte-Marguerite + Rottnest + Tabarca + Île de Brescou + Château du Taureau + Goree + Salvation Islands: Devil's, St Joseph's and Royale + Isla de San Simón + Isola delle Femmine + Drakes Island + Spitbank Fort + Mogodar + Devil's Island for his 22nd escape
2006 Steven Black (Robben + Spike + Alcatraz)
2006 Joe Donnelly (Robben + Spike + Alcatraz)
2006 Mike Harris (Robben + Spike + Alcatraz)
2006 Ossie Schmidt (Cockatoo Island + + Spike Alcatraz + Robben for his 4th break
2006 John Conroy (Cockatoo Island + Spike + Alcatraz + Rottnest for his 4th break
2006 Ned Denison (Spike + Alcatraz + Santa Cruz+ Robben + Rottnest + Île du Levant + Sainte-Marguerite + Île de Brescou +Le Château d’If +Salvation Islands: Devil's, St Joseph's and Royale + Long Island + Devil's Island for his 12th break
2009 Jennifer Hurley (Alcatraz + Rottnest + Spike)
2010 Kieron Palframan (Robben + Alcatraz + Rottnest)
2010 Ryan Stramrood (Robben + Alcatraz + Rottnest)
2009 Ram Barkai (Robben + Rottnest + Alcatraz + Rottnest + Spike for his 4th break
2011 Gary Emich (Alcatraz + Rottnest + Spike + Robben for his 4th break
2012 Ram Barkai (Robben + Alcatraz + Rottnest + Spike for his 4th break
2014 Nick Glendinning (Robben + Alcatraz + Spike)
2014 Helen Gibbs (Spike + Rottnest + Alcatraz)

The list shows the Islands, in order that they were swum. The year denotes the completion of the Triple Break.

Escape from Fort Royal de Sainte-Marguerite

1.3 km swimming escape from the Fort Royal de Sainte-Marguerite to Palm Beach in Cannes, France by Ned Denison, Jean-Yves Faure and Jacques Tuset escorted by Jean-Christophe Grand.

2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year

Jacques Tuset's effort for his Prison Island Swims is nominated for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year.

"With so many iconic venues to choose from, Jacques Tuset has swum across channels and lakes throughout Europe to showcase his talents. From Lac Léman in France to Kalamata in Greece, he has proven himself over and over again. But he has found his niche in the Prison Island Swims where he leads the world in escaping from the famed prison islands to the nearby shorelines. Encouraged by its originator Ned Denison, Tuset is on his way to complete all the Prison Island Swims with Alcatraz Island (USA), Le Château d’If (France), Fort Boyard (France), Île de Gorée (Senegal), Robben Island (South Africa), Spike Island (Ireland), Rottnest Island (Australia) and Fort Royal de Sainte-Marguerite (France) done and checked off. For his focus on a unique niche within the open water swimming world, for his enthusiastic and joyful promotion of these Prison Island Swims, Jacques Tuset’s Prison Island Swims is a worthy nominee for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year."

2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Nominees

1. Beyond Avalon by Dan Henry, Dave Speier, William Miller, Steve Miller, Lee Grove, Dana Selles, Mark Zambon, Penny Nagel, Chris Gibson, Jon Rodley, Jonathan Hands, Nick Jeffery, Terry Hirt (U.S.A.)
2. Curaçao Channel Crossing by Niko Kluyver, André Nottelman, Erwin Ruijsink (Curaçao)
3. Cyprus Israel Swim by Udi Erell, Doron Amosi, Ben Enosh, Ori Sela, Oded Rahav, Luc Chetboun (Israel)
4. Diomede Islands Swim by Alexandr Brylin and Grigorii Prokopchuk (Russia)
5. English Channel Crossing by Cyril Baldock (Australia)
6. Great Lake Adventure by Vicki Keith, Abi Tripp, Nick Streicher, Michelle Sempowski, Natasha Dobson, Harley Bolton, Natalie Lambert, Jenna Lambert (Canada)
7. International Winter Swimming Festival Argentina by Matías Ola (Argentina)
8. Lake Ontario Crossing by Trinity Arsenault (Canada)
9. Madagascar Swim by Thane Guy Williams and Jonno Proudfoot (South Africa)
10. Manhattan Island Marathon Swim by Kristian Rutford (U.S.A.)
11. Mallorca 360° Circumnavigation Swim by Richard Krugel (South Africa)
12. Monterey Bay Crossing by Patti Bauernfeind (U.S.A.)
13. Prison Island Swims by Jacques Tuset (France)
14. Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming by Charlotte Samuels (U.S.A.)
15. U.S. Lifeguarding Champions by Monmouth County Lifeguards (U.S.A.)

2016 WOWSA Awards Nomination

The Prison island swims were nominated for the 2016 WOWSA Awards, a recognition of outstanding men, women, performances and offerings around the globe sponsored by the World Open Water Swimming Association in the category of World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year.

Very few swims grab the imagination more that escaping from a Prison Island. The Triple Break, a bucket list coined by Ned Denison, has taken off with the help and enthusiastic embracing of Jacques Tuset who has completed 21 breaks around the world. With their encouragement and promotion, other swimmers can now identify, organize and attempt aquatic escapes from former and current (!) prison islands to nearby shorelines. What started off with Alcatraz Island, Spike Island and Robben Island has now expanded to over 30 dramatically exotic Breaks around the world. For completely transforming prison islands with horrific histories to beautiful locations for enjoyable solo swimming challenges, for identifying and promoting many more places around the world to attempt extreme swims of relatively short distances, for opening up swimmer's creativity in viewing previously unavailable channel swimming opportunities, the concept of Prison Island Swims is a worthy nominee for the 2016 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year.

External links

• Jacques Tuset Is Back: Château d'If Prison Island Swim
• Monica Calderon Completes The Challenge in Ilha Grande
• Libre comme l’eau By Jacques Tuset
• Bucket Lists Of Ice Swimming
• Swimming Straight Across Sado
• Team Ocean Navi Times Ten Across The Sado Channel
• Jacques Tuset Talks Prison Island Swimming On WOWSA Live (In French)
• J’ai Fait Dakar-Gorée
• The Past versus Contemporary History In Gorée
• Triple Crown of Prison Escapes
• Shhhhh...Don't Tell Anyone About The Prison Break
• Strange But True 7-Hour Open Water Swim
• The Octad Of Open Water - Prison Island Swims
• Quite The Quatro, Swimming For Seven
• Nick Glendinning Breaks Out, Completes The Triple Break
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• Open Water Swimming
• Jacques Tuset Makes Another Escape From Prison
• Jacques Tuset Breaks Out Of Prison...Again And Again
• Jacques Tuset Makes Another Escape To Shore
• Jacques Tuset, The Houdini Of The Open Water
• 2014 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nominees
• 2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman Of The Year Nominees
• 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Nominees
• 2014 WOWSA Awards Nominees
• 2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nominees
• What A Performance In The Open Water
• Alexandr Brylin, Grigori Prokopchuk's Diomedes Swim Is 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance Of The Year
• Open Water Swimming Around Bastøy Prison Island
• 3 Channels For Kizuna Enei Oudan Project
• Jacques Tuset Knocks Off 8 Ball
• Tanzania's Changuu Added To The Prison Island Swims
• Isola di Capraia In The Tuscan Archipelago
• Isola di Pianosa, Protected Marine Beauty
• Where Fred And Mary Swam, Others Follow
• Jacques Tuset, Nageur De L'extrême
• An Open Water Adventure From Île Saint-Joseph
• Jacques Tuset, Ned Denison, Jills Vanegas Escape Île St-Joseph
• 2016 WOWSA Awards Nominees
• 2016 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nominees
• 2016 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year Nominees
• 2016 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Nominees
• 2016 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nominees
• Jacques Tuset To Swim Îles Saint-Marcouf
• Ned Denison Honored In Vermont
• The White Knight Honored In Vermont
• Jacques Tuset, The World's Greatest Escape Artist
• World's Greatest Escape Artist Swims From Angel Island
• Since Jacques Tuset's Last Escapes Around The World
• The Past versus Contemporary History In Gorée
• Hundreds swim to former Senegal slave island in annual race
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• A Lifetime Of Swimming, Sharing, Smiling And Strength
• WYZ Swim Challenge From Quiberon To Belle-Île