In September, Sally Minty-Gravett, MBE (@swim_with_sal), Julia Morris, Fay de Gruchy, Alice Harvey, Karen le Cornu, and Rachel Sayers, all from the Isle of Jersey, completed a 6-person 70 km relay crossing of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) from Château de Chillon in Veytaux, France to Bains des Pâquis in Geneva, Switzerland in 28 hours 56 minutes.

While the swim started out calm enough, it got tougher…a lot tougher.

Minty-Gravett who is a veteran English Channel swimmer and coach (see her Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here) put the crossing in perspective, “It was a very tough swim – and I am very glad that I shared it with an amazing relay team. I felt that it was harder than my English Channel crossings. It was very challenging with cold winds and very weird currents – and getting in and out constantly.”

There is a lot of experience behind that statement as Minty-Gravett has completed eight 33.5 km crossings of the English Channel in her career:

• 1975 in 11 hours 57 minutes at the age of 18
• 1985 in 15 hours 3 minutes at the age of 28
• 1992 in 12 hours 8 minutes at the age of 35
• 2005 in 13 hours 31 minutes at the age of 48
• 2013 in 17 hours 48 minutes at the age of 56
• 2016 in 36 hours 26 minutes at the age of 59 [two-way crossing as the oldest person in history]
• 2022 in 15 hours 30 minutes at the age of 65

Minty-Gravett continued, “I am so, so proud of these girls who simply rose to the enormous challenge and just got the job done. I am so very happy we got this swim done. It was booked in 2019 and then delayed, delayed, and delayed. There were at least 4 team changes. The youngest was 33; the most mature was 67.

One of the toughest swims I have ever done due to the enormity of this lake and the brutal winds which come up out of nowhere. The winds were up to 16 knots at 1 am in the dark. That was scary when the boat was blown away from me and created the weirdest eddie currents underneath me.

It was a 12-hour night so we each had 2 swims each during the night. We got very little sleep for the duration of 28 hours 56 minutes, but we all did it. We swam a lot. We ate. We laughed and still are. We smiled and still are. We cared for each other. We looked after each other and we cried with joy and relief at the end.

We came. We swam. We conquered and completed the Lac Leman Signature Swim at 72 km. It was simply mind blowingly awesome. I am so blooming proud of these ladies who shared this awesome achievement. Thank you, thank you to our amazing and exemplary crew who took care of us so well including Eric Dupont, et al.”

Jaimie Monahan (@jaimie.monahan), president of the Lake Geneva Swimming Association, describes the crossing, “The Ultimate Trophy Swim across Lake Geneva – known as The Signature – traverses the length of Lake Geneva from Chillon Castle in Veytaux, France to Bains des Pâquis in Geneva, Switzerland. I is twice as long as an English Channel crossing, with fresh water flowing directly from mountains surrounding the lake. This swim is considered to be one of the toughest open water swims around.”

Fay de Gruchy said, “People are at their best when they are challenged, and we value things that we struggle to achieve. This amazing event was a true case of teamwork makes the dream work.”

Sayers commented about their collective dream. “I never thought I could do this…or found Jersey. But Sal believed in me and the rest is history now.”

Morris echoed the overall sentiment of the team and support crew, “I am honored to be asked to join the team. To be honest, I underestimated the challenge. But Jersey spring and summer training in under 16°C water really paid off. The advice, support and preparation from the most experienced on the team – and the sheer magic of the moon, stars and lake – got me through my first night swims.

But what counted when it was most needed – when it got rough and scary and doubt crept in – was the team knowing they were watching, ensuring you were safe and willing you on to just keep swimming. That meant everything. We conquered a lake and created special bonds and memories. That’s why we swim.”

The 33-year-old youngster Alice Harvey said, “After several years of postponements and team iterations, the Jersey Girls finally arrived in Geneva. After taking the train to the start in Villeneuve, I think we all began to realize the enormity of the challenge that lay ahead. We started the swim in calm conditions with a little rain, but the lake soon decided to throw almost every element at us.

The Jersey Girls are an incredibly strong team of women who supported and encouraged each other throughout the highs and lows of the swim. We created a bond that I don’t think can ever be broken. I am truly inspired by these ladies. As I’ve told them before, I want to be like them when I grow up.

Baz Luhrmann recommended to us, ‘Wear sunscreen’. Throughout the wind and the rain, I didn’t bother to put any suncream on, but ended up with a very bright red face after the sun decided to shine for the final few hours.”

Le Cornu described the relay, “Our swim of Lac Léman started in the morning with beautiful, calm water. We were surrounded by stunning scenery on all sides with the mountains in the distance. As it went dark, the conditions changed and we were faced with high winds, choppy water and currents against us. We worked even harder together to support and encourage each other through each challenging swim and created a bond that will be difficult to replicate anywhere else. A team of strong women, but definitely stronger together.”

SwimShip

Fay summed up their collective effort, “We formed a swimship, a friendship formed from the love of open water swimming. ⁠It was established by doing regular swims in shocking cold water. We bonded by matching uniform of swimsuits, caps, and hoodies. We got accustomed to seeing each others bits quickly dressing in the cold that was followed by wearing the Dryrobe, enjoying a warm drink and a good natter. That/s what makes a perfect swimship.”

For more information and to apply, visit here.

Successful Relays

• Water Worshippers, 2 stage swimmers in August 2015 in 30 hours 27 minutes
• Frequent Flyers, 6 swimmers in July 2016 in 33 hours 34 minutes
• Geneva by 3, 3 swimmers in July 2016 in 27 hours 39 minutes
• JENBO Jets, 4 swimmers in September 2016 in 27 hours 55 minutes
• ChaCha Team, 8 swimmers in September 2016 in 23 hours 28 minutes
• Swim & Tonic, 6 swimmers in July 2017 in 30 hours 38 minutes
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Dry Robe, 3 swimmers in August 2017 in 32 hours 7 minutes
• Swim for West Papua, 6 swimmers in August 2017 in 28 hours 7 minutes
• Château to Gâteau, 4 swimmers in July 2018 iin 22 hours 4 minutes
• Viva Geneva, 5 swimmers in July 2018 in 22 hours 3 minutes
• Flying Rabble, 6 swimmers in August 2018 in 24 hours 41 minutes
• In the Duck Poo, 6 swimmers in July 2019 in 24 hours 47 minutes
• Safsal Lake Geneva, 6 swimmers in July 2022 in 25 hours 53 minutes
• Brian’s Battlers, 5 swimmers in August 2022 in 26 hours 50 minutes
• Kingsdown Crawlers Relay, 5 swimmers in August 2022 in 26 hours 40 minutes
• The Ladies of the Lake, 5 swimmers in September 2022 in 27 hours 3 minutes
• The Broker Buoys, 5 swimmers in September 2022 in 26 hours 58 minutes
• The Lakelords, 5 swimmers in September 2022 in 28 hours 24 minutes
• The Naughty Nixies, 5 swimmers in June 2023 in 28 hours 16 minutes
• Are we nearly there yet, 6 swimmers in July 2023 in 28 hours 4 minutes
• Bray Lake Bathers, 6 swimmers in July 2023 in 25 hours 31 minutes
• Ironfish Swimmers, 6 swimmers in July 2023 in 27 hours 36 minutes
• The Genevinos, 6 swimmers in August 2023 in 25 hours 6 minutes
• Czech masters across Lac Léman, 4 swimmers in August 2023 in 20 hours 8 minutes

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