Aysu Türkoğlu (24, Turkey, MSF bio here, @aysu.turkoglu) started a 45 km Molokai Channel crossing at 4:51 am from South Pāpōhaku Beach on Molokai yesterday.

The conditions were unbelievably smooth – even glassy. Things could not have appeared to be better.

Under these conditions, Türkoğlu was swimming fast. Smiles abounded, both by the young 24-year-old Turkish swimmer and by her support crew on her escort boat and kayak.

But all, unfortunately, was not perfect. Reality deviated from perception out on the Molokai Channel.

Her escort pilot Michael Twigg-Smith reported after the sun set last night, “Aysu powered on into the night, after 14 and a half hours, she has 10 km to Sandy Beach [on Oahu].  She has enjoyed beautiful conditions; however, she has fought a very subtle – but consistent – current from the southwest throughout her swim.”

That current was hidden under the smooth ocean surface – and led to another nearly 7 hours in the water. Twigg-Smith said towards the end, “Aysu is battling a current 1.8 km off Sandy Beach.”

And it was a hard-fought battle. But she finally overcame Mother Nature and – early this morning – she walked up triumphantly on Sandy Beach on Oahu at 2:13 am for a tough 21 hour 22 minute crossing.

Molokai was her fifth Oceans Seven channel after a 16 hour 28 minute English Channel crossing in 2022, an 11 hour 48 minute North Channel crosing in 2023, a 7 hour 21 minute Cook Strait crossing in 2024, and an 11 hour 36 minute Catalina Channel crossing also in 2024.

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