When 32-year-old Andy Donaldson (@andy.swimming shown on left) crossed the 19.5 km Tsugaru Channel in northern Japan to complete the Oceans Seven within one calendar year, he also set the fastest cumulative time of the Oceans Seven in 63 hours 5 minutes 9 seconds, breaking the former record of 64 hours 33 minutes set by International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Honor Swimmer Attila Mányoki (@attilamanyoki) of Hungary in August 2019:

Andy Donaldson’s Oceans Seven

• English Channel: 8 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds
• North Channel: 9 hours 13 minutes 57 seconds
• Cook Strait: 4 hours 33 minutes 50 seconds
• Molokai Channel: 15 hours 52 minutes 0 seconds
• Strait of Gibraltar: 2 hours 56 minutes 0 seconds
• Catalina Channel: 9 hours 22 minutes 52 seconds
• Tsugaru Channel: 13 hours 4 minutes 30 seconds

Mányoki said, “I am proud to be the second fastest Oceans Seven swimmer behind Andy. I lost the fastest overall time, but it is really nice who I lost it to. I give my place to Andy Donaldson – my crown is now on your head. Congratulations.”

Now there is another swimmer on the horizon who will attempt a crossing of the Tsugaru Channel next month: Petar Stoychev (@stoychevpetar).

If the 47-year-old Bulgarian – who is currently serving as a World Aquatics official at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games – successfully crosses the Tsugaru Channel in August, he will be the 31st person and first from Bulgaria to complete the Oceans Seven.

• August 2007: 6 hours 57 minutes 50 seconds across the English Channel
• March 2024: 6 hours 51 minutes 12 seconds across the Cook Strait
• April 2024: 3 hours 46 minutes 0 seconds across the Strait of Gibraltar
• May 2024: 18 hours 53 minutes 0 seconds across the Molokai Channel
• June 2024: 8 hours 42 minutes 33 seconds across the Catalina Channel
• July 2024: 9 hours 56 minutes 50 seconds across the North Channel

Stoychev has taken a cumulative time of 55 hours 7 minutes 25 seconds to complete 6 of the 7 Oceans Seven channels. Donaldson completed the Oceans Seven in a cumulative time of 63 hours 5 minutes 9 seconds. That means, if our math is correct, Stoychev has 7 hours 58 minutes 8 seconds to cross the Tsugaru Channel in order to beat Donaldson’s record.

But setting the Oceans Seven record is easier said than done because the unpredictable Tsugaru Current stands in Stoychev’s way.

Images from Donaldson’s Tsugaru Channel track.rs tracker are below:

What a group of adventurers.

© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“

A World Open Water Swimming Federation project.