

Sandra Ramírez Vinay (54, Mexico, MSF bio here) took advantage of an unusually weak Tsugaru Current to complete a crossing of the Tsugaru Channel in northern Japan. She crossed in 10 hours 6 minutes in the 23°C water under the escort of Captain Hashimoto and coached by Olympian Patricia Kohlmann.
Ramírez is one of the very few swimmers who have landed on the Matsumae Peninsula and who have not been swept eastward along the Tsugaru Current.

© 2026 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“
World Open Water Swimming Federation, a human-powered project
New Open Water Swimming Educational and Motivational Course – register here