WE HAVE MOVED

Hi and thanks for visiting.

We are taking on more challenges than Nessie alone this year.

As a result we have moved to our new 40 Foot Walruses Club blog.

You can find us here:

http://40footwalruses.blogspot.com/

Tks,

Alan

Nessie Battered By 40 Foot Walruses - Guinness World Records - Fundsraised - Fancy a swim on Sunday? - Next Years Swim(s)?

Congrats to all 18 40 Foot Walruses who took on and conquered the Nessie Challenge!!! It was long, feezing and very fun swim, and everybody swam through it in flying colours (although mainly blue).

In swimming across the Loch we have raised €10k for charity, gotten super fit and had not just a small slice of craic!

The whole challenge from inception to completion has been a fantastic experience and thats down to you the swimmers so pats on the back all round.

We've sent in an official application to the Guinness Book of Records to be "The Largest Group to swim across Loch Ness". The locals certainly think we are and we hope to hear back from Guinness over the coming weeks.

As regards funds raised, The easiest way for you to hand over your funds raised to us in the club is to lodge them in the club bank account.

it's acc no: 10215834
Sort code: 98-50-30
Tran code(what ever that is) : 71

Account : The Nessie Challenge
Ulster Bank
Lower Camden Street

After lodging it send me a mail with the amount you lodged so I can cross reference it.

This way every euro is accounted for.

Get all your photos/footage of the day to Denny, by way of e-mail or CD/DVD. Then he will put them up somewhere where everybody has access to them.

The Captain of our Boat George has kindly offered to put up a Nessie Challenge Trophy for next year should we want it! We're keen to hear your thoughts on this. It could be a team trophy, or maybe you feel the nessie challenge is about craic not a cup. Dont be shy (as if!), send in a mail with your thoughts.

On the subject of next year. Given the lack of fatalities we are hoping to hold the Nessie Challenge again, just like this year it is impossible without your super support and participation. So we hope you enjoyed it so much you will come back to become part of Nessie Challenge 09, and maybe bring a pal or two too. Any ideas on how we can make the whole experience even better are gratefully accepted.

We also want to add a second swim into our calendar, something a little loopy, you know the style! So we're open to suggestions. So far we've had:

Iceland
Denmark to Sweden
Croatia to Italy
Sardinia to Corsica
Alcatraz
Lake Malawi
The Dardenelles

Remember the swim can be a relay swim if the distances are mad.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

This Sunday should you fancy a swim you have 2 choices! There is a charity swim (not a race) which is always great craic heading from the 40 Foot to Bullock and back, then there is loads of tea and sambos and sausies and bikkies and stuff after. I think its at 11.30 but I'm not sure! Maybe somebody could confirm by way of group mail.

And then there is a race from windsurfers pier at Seapoint. Men 12.30 Women 1.30.

I'm undecided, i'll go with the group.

The Blog will be back weekly again from Jan 09.

Any exceptional news in the meantime I'll update it and blast out a mail.

Congrats to one and all again.

Thanks to you for making Nessie Challenge 08 such a special experience.

Happy paddling,

alfonso

P.S. Did you see the article beside us in the Post and Journal News? Drumnadrochit are experiencing a severe lime green towel shortage.

1 week to go! - Vote on Lake Swim - Iron Man - Sponsorship

Howdy Folkys,

It is now the final week of training. We jet off to conquer Nessie on Friday week! After next Tuesday don't swim any distances above 1km. Let the body build up its reserves for the Saturday. I'm officially off the booze now until Saturday lunchtime.

There will be 2 more Lake swims before we depart. Sunday in either Mullingear or Loch Dan(we'll have a vote). And then next Tuesday in Lough Dan . The more of these you do the better, there is certainly an adjustment to be made. Lough Dan was a spectacular swim yesterday by the way!

The Tommy Dorgan Sea Swim is on Sat 26th of July. This is the Iron Man of the Dublin Sea Swim Calendar. It's a 5k swim from Seapoint to the Poolbeg Lighhouse at the mouth of the Liffey (the red one with the white wall).
If you are interested let me know. We'll do 1 increasing long distance swim every week between now and then (2.75, 3.5, 4 then Tommy D).

Hows your sponsorship going? I'm even hitting my dentist for money! We've a couple of swimmers who are on the second form. Well done to Denny and Dave who have raised €500 so far selling raffle tickets to drunk people. Well done also to Brian and Brian who have got Vodafone to double all the money they raise. And Well done to Fran who is getting Bank of Ireland to do a double up with her too!

Happy Paddling,

alfonso

2 and a half weeks till the day - Lake Swim - Fundraising

Howdy folks,

Above is the final draft of our Club Logo. Excellent work Dave D'Arcy, much appreciated.

2 and a half weeks untill we paddle across the Loch. That means that this is the last weekend of serious training. The following weekend will be a gentler swim to ensure your body is primed for the big day.

In order to Acclimatise to Fresh Water, this Sunday our Sunday Swim will take place in Lough Owel which is 4 kms after Mullingar on the M4. Its about an hours drive from Dublin. The Lough is deep with remarkable water quality and visibility of up to 20 feet on a bright day. It is very safe for swimming and there is actually a race scheduled here in August.

There is an island in the lake 500m from the shore. We will swim over to the island and back, and over and back. So it will be similar to the seapoint swim, just in a lake!

Remember how your first swim in the sea was different to the pool. Well there will be another adjustment here. So it is important you make it to this swim. If you need a lift or have spare car spaces send a mail to the group.

We will meet at Seapoint at 11am on Sunday morn and drive up together.

There are a couple of swimmers onto their Third Sponsorship Page. Well done. I have my form folded up in my pocket and it comes everywhere with me. Everytime I leave the house its a sponsorship opportunity, ask the Romas on the street, they've pockets full of cash!

There is a race in Seapoint at 5.45 for men and 6.15 women on Thurs. Should be good craic, I'm pushed for time but hoping to make it. Saturdays race is at Jury Inn in the North Quays, 5.30 and 6.

Happy Paddling

al

3 Weeks Training Left - Lake Swims - Money Raised - Are you the next Bertie?

Howdy,

We have 3 weeks training and 2x2km swims left before we fly over to wrestle Nessie. This next 2 weeks are the most vital training weeks as the week before the swim the training is lighter to ensure you are in peak condition on the day. Everybody needs to do a 2km sea swim this week, and a 2 km swim next week. The following week is the week before we leave and we will be swimming shorter distances.

So just to ensure the message is perfectly clear. It is massively important that you do a 2km swim this week, and a 2km swim next week. Nobody wants to go all the way to Scotland to struggle, or to not finish the swim.

This Sunday we will swim from Whiterock again! 12.30 as always, and it's a 2k swim. I'm gonna do a 2k there tonight if anybody wants to join!

On Sunday week and the following (final) Sunday we will do a Lake Swim to prepare. Remember when we transferred from the pool to the sea? It took a bit of getting used to! Well there will be a little bit of getting used to again when we get in the a lake. Keep these days free in your diary. We will find a safe lake as close to Dublin as possible. We are currently researching options.

How's your Fundraising going? I have to admit I'm still under the €50 mark, gotta up my game to hit the €500! If we raise €500 each we will have raised €10,000 between us which is phenominal!

A suggestion came from a couple of heads within the club that we should Donate money to the 40 Foot seeing as its our home. Suprisingly they receive no funds from the County Council and it has been maintained for 150 years by private donations! Our initial target was €7,500 and we now have more swimmers, so there could be excess funds. If so we could take a vote and donate anything over the target to the maintenance of the 40 Foot.

Are you "harbouring" ambitions to be the next Bertie? The Dun Laoghaire Co Council is currently seeking public input on their plans to develop the Dun Laoghaire coastline. As a local sea-swimming club our voice should count. If you have any interest in contributing to the public consultation process let me know. The future of our coastline is being decided now and they are asking for your opinion. It's a great opportunity to have a say in something special.

The 40 Foot Walruses becomes political, who'd a thunk it?

Happy Paddling,

al

4 Weeks training 'till we Swim 2 the Castle - Lake Swims - Sunday Business Post - Sandycove Race

Howdy,

The Leaving Cert might have already started but at least we still have 4 weeks Training left before we conquer the Loch. At this stage it is really important that you are swimming 3 times a week, and doing a 2km sea swim once a week. Keep on Swimming!

Urquhart Castle have generously given us permission to swim ashore on their grounds on the day. So check out the picture above and visualise swimming to that castle every day when doing your press ups in the snow.

We want to do one or two Lake Swims before the day. Does anybody have any suggestions on a good location? Near Dublin, safe for swimming?

We got a great colour snap in our swimsuits on Page 3 on the Sunday Business Post Magazine last weekend, see the top photo above. For bigger versions and more photos check out the 40 Foot Walruses Facebook Account.

http://www.facebook.com/people/FortyFoot_Walruses/1261256458

We had 7 swimmers competing in the First race of the Sea Swim Calender last Saturday. Well done to Denny, Sue, Butler, Jamie, Sham and Simon T, and me who all swam superbly.

Our average finishing time was above the halfway mark, which is a fantastic start! It demonstrates that our standard is already above average when compared with the regular competitors from Leinster's top Swimming Clubs. There is no reason why we cant bring home a trophy or two this season. Had we been allowed start at Go we would have taken first and third, unfortunately we were hindered by handicaps.

There are no races this weekend, but they kick off again at Seapoint on Thursday week!!! Anybody who swam last week will recommend it!

Congrats to Sue who took her sponsorship card to a wedding and now has €510 raised! Drunk people are an easy target!

Please E-mail suggestions for Lake swim location to Nessie Mailbox.

Happy Paddling,

al

Greetings Sunday Business Post Readers!!!

Thanks a million for taking the time to look us up on the "Interweb".

We presume you are here because you are interested in The 40 Foot Walruses Sea-Swimming Club and/or the world famous "Nessie Challenge"!

Our e-mail address is nessiechallenge@gmail.com

So if you wish to sponsor us, get involved or you have a query please don't hesitate to belt us over a mail. We promise we wont sell your details on to penis enlargement spammers.

If you wish to pit yourself against Nessie get your name on the list for '09! Unfortunately the Nessie Challenge '08 is fully subscribed and looming large on the horizon. But once there aren't a discouraging number of fatalities (3 plus) this year we will certainly be stepping up to the challenge again in '09!!! Pre-Training starts in January so its a super New Years Resolution.

For further info on the causes we are fundraising for please scroll down to the Blog Entitled "Info on Charities". It is the blog before the blog before this one.


A Little Bit About Us (excerpt from Sunday Tribune May 12th):

EIGHTEEN Dun Laoghaire dare-devils are preparing to swim the cold and murky waters of Loch Ness this summer - and even tales of old Nessie cannot put them off.

Organisers Alan Coleman and Simon Torpay, both 28, have heard stories of sonar sightings of the legendary beast, and have even had warnings from renowned stunt swimmer “Alcatraz Joe” - but they will not be deterred from the 12 July event looking to raise more than €10,000 for charity.

“Last year Simon and myself did an 11km swim from Howth to Dun Laoghaire, ” Coleman told the Sunday Tribune.
“It was the first time this route had been done, and was quite tough. This time we wanted something that was a bit more inclusive, something more people would be interested in doing, ” he said.

Calling themselves the 40 Foot Walruses Sea Swimming Club, they are the first group from Ireland - including three mums - to attempt the swim.
The 18 brave souls will be swimming in water of 10 Degrees Celcius for around an hour.
“It has been done before but it’s not something that’s done regularly, ” said Coleman.
Initially, there was a group of 30 swimmers, but after speaking to Joe Oakes who swam Loch Ness three years ago - and who was the first man to swim the supposedly impossible Alcatraz to San Francisco stretch - they decided to impose a minimum standard.

“I got in touch with Joe after I bought his book which gave advice and tips on swims like this, ” said Coleman.
“When I told him our level, and that we had some beginners, he bascially said that the middle of Loch Ness is no place for beginners.
“It’s very choppy, ” explained Coleman. “And because it’s fresh water there is no buoyancy.”
A high peat content means visibility in the 800ft deep lake is very bad too.
“Joe said you can’t see your hand in front of you, and he also said it was the coldest water he had ever swam in.”

Currently, the 18-strong swimming club can be spotted on Sunday mornings, in their speedos, at the 40 Foot swimming spot in Dun Laoghaire.
“We are training together once a week at the 40 Foot, but we are all doing extra training - about 2km a week, in our spare time as well. It’s a big commitment, it does interfere with your social life, ” laughed Coleman, who says he is looking forward to a hot drink afterwards.
“We will have hot scotch, haggis and a bagpipe player playing ‘Scotland The Brave’ waiting for us at the far side.”

And the big question - is he afraid that Nessie will make an appearance on the day?
“The more I read about it the more I believe there could be something to it.
“But there are 18 of us, so I will surround myself with other swimmers who are covered in goose fat -Nessie likes to eat geese apparently, ” he laughed.

Thanks again for taking the time to look us up.

Happy Paddling,

Alfonso