Message from John

"Yet again the Channel got the best of me! I started the swim at 9.20am. No pains only a bit of a chest infection. At 4 hours in, my right elbow was in pain. I slowed for an hour and got used to it. For the next 10 hours it slowed me an hour. As night fell at 8pm I had 8 miles to go. At 11pm I had 4 to go! It got rougher and the tide changed. At 11.30pm I had 6 miles to go! I was getting further away. My crew told me I had 8 hours to go then. I had 3-4 hours left in me and I was cold and had taken a bit too much salt water. It was hard to make the next call.

On the boat I went up forward to the cabin and got a call from my brother 15 minutes later to get out on deck ASAP. We were lucky as the boat just crashed into a tanker head on and our skipper did not see. 30 seconds later and I would not be here!

Thanks to everyone once again for your support and sorry for letting you down once again."

Your fans are very proud of you and look forward to having you home.

Shipping Channel

john has been in the water for over three hours and he is about to enter the Shipping Channel, which can be quite dangerous. he has had a few feeds of special food gels which are packed with nutrition and energy.
there are 4 swimmers in total swimming the channel at this time.

........GO!!!

John looking particularly handsome as he embarks on his swim to France!!!

he left from the shore below at 9am.

John Started his swim this morning close to 9am. the skipper has said that the conditions are the best this season.

still waiting....

John has a new date to start............... Saturday at 9am................we have our fingers crossed that it will be a good time for him.

The weather outside is frightful.....

John's swim has been put back for another day, he was meant to be in the water yesterday morning...........then yesterday evening................. and now today. unfortunately the conditions are turning messy and John will not be able to go ahead until the skipper is happy to guide him.

This will be frustrating for John as he is rearing to go. However he has found alternative things to do in the meantime, he and his crew went for a spin to France yesterday while waiting for the go ahead to swim- C'est La Vie!!

ready.....steady......

John has organised his pilot boat and skipper, it is Reg Brickell and the Boat is the Viking Princess FE 137. It is a fishing vessel and the Skipper is a veteran at guiding swimmers to France.

John has added to his crew, Alan Faulkner, who has been a friend of John's for many years. Alan has been designated chief photographer and general handy man for the event!

John has been told that the weather looks good for Wednesday morning and he will most likely start the swim at 3am.

On the Road Again....

John left Baltimore on Wednesday afternoon after bidding farewell to his wife and children to start his journey to England for the second attempt at swimming the Channel. John feels more than ready for his challenge, understandig the perils that face him.
He took the late ferry from Rosslare and drove to Dover to meet his support crew this evening. The team are different from last year- his brother James Kearney and a good friend Alf Kitson. Both James and Alf are not new to John's unusual choices of swimming venues; they assisted him as he swam from Gibralter to Tunisia in June this year.
They will stay in Dover until it is time for John to swim, they have found a lovely spot overlooking the Cliffs of Dover. John was meant to begin his swim this Saturday but he was informed today that it has been delayed til next Wednesday. This will give them more time to plan the swim and the meals- which John said "will be the same as last year with a few extra treats!!". John and his team are looking forward to the celebratory beers in France that was denied to him last year.