Courtesy of Channel Swim Japan, Tsugaru Channel, northern Japan.
36-year-old Cameron Bellamy became the first South African and the 11th person in history to complete the Oceans Seven with an 11 hour 7 minute 28 second crossing of the Tsugaru Channel yesterday.
After a DNF across the Tsugaru Channel in October 2017, the South African came back and did a solid swim brilliantly cutting across the Tsugaru Current on his swim from Kodomari on Honshu to Hokkaido in northern Japan.
As he approached the opposite shore of Hokkaido, he was able to continue a consistent pace in the 15°C water and the expectant eddies did not push he away from shore.
Bellamy became the 11th person in history to achieve the Oceans Seven after Stephen Redmond (Ireland), Anna-Carin Nordin (Sweden), Michelle Macy (USA), Darren Miller (USA), Adam Walker (UK), Kimberley Chambers (New Zealand), Antonio Argüelles (Mexico), Ion Lazarenco Tiron (Moldavia/Ireland), Rohan Dattatrey More, and Abhejali Bernardová (Czech Republic).
Bellamy’s Oceans Seven record of success is as follows:
* July 2012: English Channel from England to France in 16 hours 29 minutes.
* April 2015: Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco in 4 hours 1 minute.
* November 2015: Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the mainland in 11 hours 53 minutes.
* July 2016: North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 12 hours 22 minutes.
* February 2017: Molokai Channel from Molokai to Oahu in 17 hours 1 minute.
* March 2017: Cook Strait in a tandem swim with Steve Walker, finishing in 12 hours 44 minutes.
* October 2017: Tsugaru Channel attempt in a tandem swim with Steve Walker.
* June 2018: Tsugaru Channel from Honshu to Hokkaido in Japan in 11 hours 7 minutes.
Bellamy recalled after returning home, “It is slowly starting to sink in that my six-year Oceans Seven adventure has come to an end. It’s been an awesome journey, topped off with a Tsugaru Channel crossing that was equal parts challenging and fun.
I got to thank my main supporter, my mom, Janita Bellamy, who was there for all my hardest swims. Think I helped age her a bit although, she’s doing alright.
Japan is one helluva place. My crack hot support team of Ian Milne and Jen Loong and I have traversed much of northern Japan since the swim.”
For more information on the Tsugaru Channel, visit the Tsugaru Channel Swimming Association site here.
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